Aussie city plans govt PPP

A city in Australia has launched a new list of priority projects that are seeking state and federal government support, including a $100m government hub scheme to be delivered as a PPP.

The City of Greater Bendigo in Victoria has published the list in an effort to drum up support from state and federal governments for a number of projects, as well as to increase interest from private sector investors.

One of its top priorities is for the development of a so-called Gov Hub, which will house a number of important services created through increased decentralisation of both Australian and Victorian government agencies.

The Victorian government has already allocated $1m to investigate developing the Gov Hub, which would provide a customer service centre in central Bendigo.

According to the city's document, the $100m cost could be met through a PPP model, with the city providing land or selling land to raise some of the funds.

Among the other priorities on the list is re-use of the city's old gasworks site. A feasibility study into possible options has been prepared, and the city expects any redevelopment to be undertaken with funding from both the federal and state governments, alongside private sector investment.