The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) today announced they have signed an agreement to develop a prime central Hamilton site as the new home for ACC in the city.

ACC Chief Executive Scott Pickering says the new development will provide a people-friendly environment to provide a better experience for ACC’s customers and 650-strong Hamilton-based staff.

“We are excited to partner with Tainui Group Holdings to bring this building to life. Hamilton is an important business hub for ACC’s operations nationally and the development will provide a modern, safe and accessible working environment for our people and customers,” says Mr Pickering.

“It will consolidate our three existing Waikato premises into one, central city location.”

A fully-owned subsidiary of Tainui Group Holdings will own and develop the complex which will be leased to ACC for an initial 15-years, with a further four rights of renewal of three years each.

The complex will be four storeys high, configured in three pavilions, adding around 8,500 square metres (net lettable area) of office space on the corner of Collingwood and Tristram Streets in the CBD.

The site, currently used as a carpark, may include ground floor food and beverage and complementary retail services, and will have 23 on-site carparks and a further 34 carparks located adjacent to the development.

The new development will be constructed to New Zealand’s current sustainability, seismic and environmentally-sound standards. It will meet a yearly minimum four-star standard under NABERSNZ, the system for rating the energy efficiency of office buildings. The building will also have multiple charging stations for electric vehicles – including cars, bikes and scooters.

Parekawhia McLean, Chair of Te Whakakitenga o Waikato, the Waikato-Tainui parliament, said the iwi is pleased to partner with the Crown on this development project, and the iwi will continue to own the underlying whenua.

“It’s fitting that our whenua will be utilised in a way that will contribute to better outcomes for everyone who interacts with ACC, as well as our city, region and Waikato-Tainui,” said Ms McLean.

Chris Joblin, CEO of Tainui Group Holdings, is looking forward to working with ACC and believes this development shows a lot of confidence in the future of Hamilton and the Waikato.

“Hamilton is growing rapidly, and we’re excited ACC has chosen to build in the CBD and recognise TGH as a development partner of choice. We want to deliver an office building that is cost-effective, speaks to the shared values of both organisations, and is a great addition to our city,” says Mr Joblin.

The new ACC centre is targeted for completion in October 2022. The development builds on the memorandum of understanding signed by ACC and Waikato-Tainui in 2014.

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