Each of Canberra's Commonwealth public servants puts more than than $10,000 through cash registers in the town centre where they work, private sector research reveals.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As the tussle over the final destination of 5500 Immigration and Customs officials intensifies, modelling by a private research house reveals why the players are fighting so hard; more than $55 million a year in potential annual retail sales is at stake.
The research by respected private sector outfit Urbis puts the value of a federal public servant in Canberra at 15 per cent more than the average government worker elsewhere in Australia.
The Urbis research found that an ACT public servant was likely to spend about $45 each working day in 2014 in shops, cafes or other outlets near their work, considerably more than the $37 shelled out by government workers elsewhere in Australia.
"This includes spending on food, groceries and general retailing and includes large purchased items," according to the researchers.
Several property players around town are making a determined pitch to land the signature of the newly merged Immigration and Customs department for a giant 80,000 square metre office building.
Fairfax revealed this week that Brindabella Business Park at the Canberra Airport had emerged as a serious contender as well as sites in Civic and an option for the department to stay put in Belconnen.
About 4000 Immigration officials have had a long-term presence in central Belconnen while 1500 Customs public servants are based in several buildings in Civic and their bosses are keen to bring all the workers together under one roof.
With only one other big deal on the horizon in the ACT's struggling commercial property market, the Finance Department's proposed move to a new building on Canberra Avenue, Immigration's new offices have become a political issue with territory and federal politicians looking to get involved.
According to the Urbis Worker Survey, retail spending by office workers has much to do with the shopping opportunities available close to their offices and precincts like Belconnen and Civic are in perfect position to take cash in on federal public servants.
Urbis conducted its survey in 2013 with about 3700 respondents working for 230 organisations in 20 big office buildings around the nation.
Elsewhere, the research suggests Belconnen is in better shape than other town centres to withstand the loss of a large public service tenant with retail sales in the town centre, driven by strong residential development, tipped to grow from an estimated $2.86 billion in 2014 to $3.17 billion in 2018 and $3.37 billion in 2021.
The Canberra Times has not seen figures for the other town centres, but Gungahlin is understood to be tipped for strong growth, albeit from a much smaller base, while moderate growth at best is expected in Woden unless large residential developments can get off the ground.
Struggling Tuggeranong's retail sales are only predicted to grow by the rate of inflation.
Property Council of the ACT executive director Catherine Carter said Canberra's "satellite town" design mean that a delicate balance had to be struck between the town centres.
"The Commonwealth government is the biggest employer in town," Ms Carter said.
"They should be good corporate citizens and give consideration to the future life of the city overall while at the same time balancing their need to get best value for money."
