Construction of Orange's $75 million new home for the Department of Primary Industries is on schedule to open in October.
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Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall visited the site on Thursday and was told work would be completed in August ahead of more than 400 staff moving in from October.
"The building construction is on time, it is on track, it is under budget," he said.
"This is a tangible sign of our long-term commitment to keeping jobs in Orange," he said.
He said former agriculture minister Ian Armstrong who led the charge for the department to move to Orange in 1992 would be celebrated in the new building.
"At the opening ceremony we will be honouring Ian Armstrong in an appropriate way with this new building, naming a significant space in the building after him," he said.
Mr Marshall said COVID-19 restrictions would not reduce the number of staff able to work in the building.
"It is a flexible workspace, open plan. There is plenty of ability to keep staff properly spaced in terms of adhering to the 1.5-metre distancing requirements.
"A lot of our staff while primarily based here could be anywhere in the state, on the road, in their cars, working from home, down in Sydney or out in the field.
This is a tangible sign of our long-term commitment to keeping jobs in Orange.
- Adam Marshall, agriculture minister
"That core, or nucleus of the Department of Primary Industries will also be based here, forever, in Orange."
Mr Marshall said he did not know if any other government departments would take over the DPI's current site in Kite Street.
"We lease that building in Kite Street so that will really be a matter for the owners of that building in what they do," he said.
Orange mayor Reg Kidd said he would like to see the old building re-purposed for inner-city living.
"It could lend itself to refurbishing for housing, for unit development," he said.
"I don't own the building, but if I owned the building that's what I'd be looking at doing. They'd have no problem selling them.
"You only have to look at the inner-city of Orange with houses, or with units and the sorts of prices they are bringing at the moment."
He said the site was close to the CBD's amenities.
"You've got a two minute walk to the pub, you've got a five minute walk to at least four or five restaurants, and heaps of parking."
He said it was owned by South Australian-based superannuation fund business.
Cr Kidd said the new building was "absolutely fantastic" for Orange.
"This is an incredible, substantial building opposite the TAFE and that really makes this is a centre with those departments working together."
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