On 31 August, NAB began welcoming employees to its new offices in the Centre of Global Sydney, at 3 Parramatta Square.
NAB’s head of group property, Kevin Davine, said that due to Covid-19, the right balance would need to be found between working from 3 Parramatta Square and at home, with only business-critical employees working from the new office space initially.
“The wellbeing of our employees remains our top priority and we will maintain the highest standards of health and safety in the office, our branches and business centres,” Davine said.
“We have every confidence our people will love the new workspace and will enjoy being part of one of Australia’s most diverse and thriving areas when the Covid-19 restrictions ease.”
City of Parramatta lord mayor Cr Bob Dwyer said it was wonderful to see NAB moving into Parramatta Square.
“We welcome NAB’s employees to Parramatta with open arms.
“I have no doubt they will love working in our great City and discovering everything it has to offer,” Dwyer said.
Financial services make up a significant part of Parramatta’s professional economy, attracting blue-chip talent to the area and providing 17,000 jobs.
The finance and insurance services sector generated $9.09 billion in the 2017/18 financial year—making it the largest industry in the City of Parramatta by output.
It has also been the fastest growing industry (in absolute terms) in the city during the past decade, increasing by $3.6 billion since 2007/08.
This in turn provides opportunities for local residents to progress their careers while working close to home, with further investment in the region set to harness the talent of local professionals for years to come.
In 2016, professional services network PwC projected the sector would generate 3,600 new jobs and an additional $2.2 billion of output by 2021—with this jobs target already met as a result of NAB’s move.
“Western Sydney is currently home to more than 2 million people —that’s roughly one in every 11 Australians—and projected to grow to 3 million by 2031,” Davine said.
“It is also home to more than 240,000 local businesses, so it absolutely makes sense for NAB to have a strong presence here.”
NAB already has more than 300,000 customers living in Western Sydney, and that figure is growing rapidly.
“Our retail branch at Parramatta Square will open in late September—it’s so important for us to be close to our customers in Western Sydney,” Davine said.
“Parramatta is part of an incredible growth region and being at the centre of activity ensures we’re always listening and learning from our customers.”
“As we’ve learned over these past few months in this current Covid-19 environment, while people have been able to sustain working from home, they miss the office workspace,” Davine said.
“Our commercial buildings are designed to bring out the best in our people so they can collaborate, connect with each other, be inspired and better serve our customers.”
Davine added that the spaces and settings at 3 Parramatta Square have been designed to support NAB’s community-oriented focus.
“Smart building features will make it easier and faster for colleagues to navigate throughout their day—built for people, enabled by technology.
“It’s clear to see why the Centre of Global Sydney is such an attractive location for leading financial service institutions,” Davine said.
Councillor Dwyer said the completion of 3 Parramatta Square along with the growing presence of business leaders, such as NAB, in Parramatta’s CBD marks the beginning of a new chapter for the city.
“Parramatta is an economic leader with a thriving commercial centre.
“We are attracting world-class businesses to Western Sydney and providing incredible lifestyle opportunities for our diverse community,” Dwyer said.
“As Covid-19 restrictions ease and more people return to their workplaces, I look forward to welcoming the rest of NAB’s workers to Parramatta and seeing them become part of our thriving and vibrant city.”
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