City welcomes ATO’s decision to stay in Geelong

THE Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has decided to not close its Geelong operations.
The lease on the ATO’s office was set to expire, sparking fears 120 jobs would be moved to Melbourne.
In a statement on Monday this week, the ATO said it would “maintain a presence in Geelong” and had decided to do so “after reviewing feedback and considering alternatives through its consultation process” but has not explicitly guaranteed jobs will not be lost.
“During consultation it was made clear that all stakeholders, in particular our staff and leaders, would like to pursue options which could ensure the site remains vibrant and viable.
“The ATO will now undertake a standard leasing process as set out in the Commonwealth Property Management Framework, to procure a new lease in Geelong. We hope to finalise this process by the end of 2020.
“The ATO is committed to maintaining a strong presence in regional Australia as we understand that being a part of the community is essential for continued public trust and confidence in the tax and super system.”
Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher welcomed the announcement.
“The ATO’s decision to stay in Geelong is the appropriate one and will keep local jobs here at a particularly challenging time for our economy,” she said.
“We’re pleased the ATO sees the benefits of remaining in Geelong and we look forward to its 50-year history in our city continuing for many years to come.
“The council was part of a unified advocacy effort to achieve this outcome, and we thank all local MPs and other organisations who played a role.”
Victorian Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson said the ATO’s decision was a big win not just for the ATO’s local workforce but for the entire Geelong community.
“I am very pleased to have helped lead the community fight against the closure of the Geelong ATO office.
“Following an internal review, I thank the Commissioner of Taxation for recognising the importance of the ATO’s continuing presence in Geelong.
“While I recognise this was an operational matter, I fought extremely hard to ensure this closure did not proceed. I made numerous strong representations to the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer as well as to the ATO Commissioner and his team.
“I also thank the many ATO Geelong staff who wrote to me for their advocacy, as well as key stakeholders such as the Committee for Geelong, the City of Greater Geelong and G21.”