Central Land Council lodges application to expand Stuart Hwy headquarters

The headquarters of a land council in the Red Centre could be getting a slick facelift, according to new plans put forward for a proposed expansion. See the designs.

Designs of the new three-storey office building proposed by the Central Land Council for their Alice Springs headquarters.

An “imposing and not welcoming” entry is one of the reasons behind a major facelift and expansion for the headquarters of a land council which oversees swathes of the Red Centre.

The Central Land Council (CLC) is seeking to expand its Stuart Hwy headquarters into the block next door – which it has already acquired – to expand and relocate its workforce onto a single complex.

CLC chief executive Les Turner said the council had “outgrown” the current building, which was completed in 2009.

Central Land Council, Alice Springs. Picture: Katie Hall

“For example, one team has to use a roster to share desks and we have to rent office space in the CBD for two other teams. The new building will not only accommodate all Alice Springs-based staff in one location, it will also offer welcoming and inclusive training and meeting spaces for our remotely-based staff,” he said.

The proposed expansion will see a three storey, 12m high building built next door to the current CLC headquarters – which is 4m over the current height limit for Alice Springs – with the land council filing an exceptional development permit to get approval for the project.

Once completed, the new building will create a new entrance into the council which isn’t “imposing and not welcoming”, the statement of effect for the proposal said.

An artist’s impression of the new Central Land Council entry for their Alice Springs headquarters.

“The existing entry is deemed to be imposing and not welcoming, partly due to the infrastructure needed to access the elevated level where the entry is located,” the statement said.

The statement of effect, prepared by GHD consulting, said when the new building was complete, it would become the headquarters’ new main entry, while also relocating CLC staff from “multiple rental premises in Alice Springs” to one precinct.

“While the proposed new building is 4m above the prescribed height limit for Alice Springs, the design and integration of the new building is such that it does not impose itself on the surrounds,” the statement of effect said.

Designs of the new three-storey office building proposed by the Central Land Council for their Alice Springs headquarters.

“The building has been designed to reflect the colours and aesthetics of the locality and will be extensively landscaped with plant species endemic to the region.”

The design had taken the sacred site located behind the CLC into consideration, the statement of effect said.

“The proposed design of the new office extension allows the registered sacred site behind the site to be viewed from the Stuart Highway and within the site, enhancing the cultural connection,” the statement of effect said.

Mr Turner said the project would contribute to the Alice Springs economy.

Public consultation on the proposal end at midnight, December 6.