Joint Media Release - The Hon Darren Chester MP, The Hon Zed Seselja - Defence Housing Australia coming to Gungahlin

Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester and Senator for the ACT the Hon Zed Seselja, today announced the Government will be relocating Defence Housing Australia (DHA) from its head office in Barton to the town centre of Gungahlin, meeting the Federal Government’s 2016 election commitment.

DHA has been selected on the basis that it is the right sized agency, has clients in the region and has leases expiring in the near future.

“As the housing provider for the Australian Defence Force, DHA offices need to be located in areas where staff can best serve the needs of Defence personnel and their families,” Mr Chester said.

“The relocation will see approximately 290 DHA staff move to offices in the Gungahlin Town Centre, delivering a boost for the local economy and having positive flow on effects for the wider community.”

“I have been fighting for the town centres in Canberra. I fought for the Department of Social Services to remain in Tuggeranong with a new building, for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to remain in Belconnen and now, we have the first major move of Commonwealth agency to Gungahlin,” Senator Seselja said.

“With over 22,000 households now in the area and growing strongly, this firm commitment is a vote of confidence in Gungahlin’s economic future.

“Canberra is designed on a town centre model, and we know that the success of our local town centres is significantly impacted by the locations of Government Department offices, as key anchor tenants in the capital. With Gungahlin’s expanding population the time is right for this kind of commitment,” Senator Seselja concluded.

The process will begin by DHA going to market this year to assess potential sites for tenancy.