NOW: The old building on the corner of Brisbane St and Railway Lane. Demolition work is currently underway on site.
A new government services construction could be the most energy efficient building in Cowra, according to an environmental report.
The new Department of Human Services building is being constructed on the corner of Brisbane Street and Railway Lane; it will merge Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services under one banner.
The National Australian Build Environment Rating System (NABERS) gave the building a 4.5 star rating out of a possible five.
The building will have energy efficient lighting and air conditioning, extensive insulation, environmentally sound carpet, reduced water consumption fittings, sun shading and more.
The $3.2 million project is being built by Stirloch Developments and is being built to meet high energy efficiency targets.
Similar projects have already been completed in Bathurst and Orange.
A Department of Human Services spokeswoman said the plan will make accessing Centrelink and Medicare services more convenient.
“Co-locating services is handy because it means customers can access more services from the one location - saving time and travel.,” she said.
“More than 320 communities around Australia can now access Centrelink and Medicare services from the one place.
“It’s a model that’s working well and people are benefitting from only having to visit the one office.”
Director of environmental services at Cowra Council Michael Carter said the new building is going to set an example for future developments.
“It’s a great example of energy efficiency in a corporate environment,” he said. “We’re happy to see that this is the way the future is heading.”
Project manager Shannon Kearns said construction is currently in the demolition stage, with the entire project expected to be completed by the end of the year.