By ANNE GIBSON property editor
Tranz Rail's move from Wellington to Auckland is taking staff well away from the tracks, over to Takapuna's Clear Centre.
But choosing offices in the striking, $50 million see-through structure was not just a matter of leasing office space.
Tranz Rail wanted to make a "clear statement to
the business community" in its choice of a new corporate headquarters, says Jeff Heisler, group general manager of change.
On Tranz Rail's website feature Talking Heads, Mr Heisler said Tranz Rail had chosen the Clear Centre for good reasons.
"We are not trying to disown rail. We are making a statement to the business community that Tranz Rail is a 21st century company with advantages in technology and telecommunications to manage the operational side of its business and that there is no longer a requirement to be located above a yard or station."
This contrasts with Tranz Rail's former headquarters on six levels of Wellington's railway building.
More than 100 Tranz Rail staff are moving into the 17,400 sq m building at the Smales Farm Business Centre.
Tranz Rail will keep a "significant operation" in Wellington, Mr Heisler said.
Sales and marketing staff from Wellington and Auckland were already moving into the centre.
Staff who did not want to move to Auckland were being made laid off and$16.5 million had been allocated to do the changes.
The new corporate headquarters will also be a "slimmed-down" operation, with more emphasis on regional offices closer to Tranz Rail's customers, Mr Heisler says.
The Clear Centre won a Property Council award last year, the judges comparing it with Sydney's North Shore business parks, which, they said, New Zealand's property industry had looked on with envy for many years. The Clear Centre set a new standard here and was "every bit as good as its Australian counterparts."
Tranz Rail has sub-let half the second floor between the motorway and the central atrium, says a spokesman for the building's owners, the Smale family.
Further development of the surrounding land is planned.
A laser light show put on during the 13 days before Christmas attracted about 100,000 people to the business park, the spokesman says.
The Smale family covered half of the $60,000 needed to put on the light show; Clear Communications, the North Shore City Council and other parties covered the other half.
