Kāpiti Coast Police communications centre

NZ Police to occupy the property at 43 Ihakara St, Paraparaumu. Photo / Supplied

NZ Police will set up a major new communications centre on the Kāpiti Coast, north of Wellington, following a lease agreement brokered by Colliers International.

Dean Anderson, associate director in Colliers' Kāpiti office, negotiated the lease for NZ Police to occupy the property at 43 Ihakara St, Paraparaumu.

NZ Police is expected to open its new non-emergency communications and digital centre in the building in late 2018, after fitting out the building and employing new staff. The new centre will employ 120 people by the end of next year.

The building was originally constructed as a call centre for TelstraClear, says Anderson.

"This building is a large and functional office which is ideally suited to an organisation which needs to house a large team on a single floor, under one roof. It's an ideal location for NZ Police and their move here will create a large number of new jobs, contributing to the Kāpiti Coast economy."

Several features of the property and location were well suited to NZ Police, Anderson says. These included the location just 50km from Wellington, which is expected to enable the organisation to recruit around 75 per cent of its staff locally. The building's 24-hour backup power capabilities and good car parking were further drawcards.

Following the departure of TelstraClear after the company's acquisition by Vodafone, the building was subleased by Fletchers/Alliance Group (a deal also brokered by Anderson) for the Mackays to Peka Peka expressway project from September 2013 to February 2018.

The original lease has only just come to an end, opening up the opportunity for NZ Police to take a new lease and make the building their own, Anderson says.

"NZ Police will be carrying out a bespoke fit-out of the building to ensure it meets their needs for the new centre, which will be a key part of the organisation's goal to provide a better service to people contacting the police."

The 1827sq m building has a high stud and includes an entrance lobby and reception, office areas, meeting rooms, a training room, board room and modern staff cafeteria opening on to an outdoor courtyard.

Staff facilities include bike racks and shower, along with 73 car parks. The building is also equipped with the latest IT capabilities, power failure systems and a standby generator.

The large 4584sq m site is located in the centre of Paraparaumu, says Anderson.

"The central Paraparaumu location means staff working at the property will have easy access to retail at Coastlands Shoppingtown, as well as the town centre and key local amenities including Raumati Beach Village Shops."

Local roading improvements including the Kāpiti Expressway are contributing to strong growth in the Kāpiti Coast economy and property market. The region is now one of the fastest growing in New Zealand, Anderson adds.