The Greater Sydney Conference (GSC) team is relocating to the offices of the South Pacific Division (SPD) in Wahroonga, New South Wales.
The move is slated for September 26-30 and will be temporary until new offices in Epping are completed. Operations in the new office will begin on October 4.
Project manager Patricia Goncalves will coordinate the move to the SPD building, which is across the road from the Conference’s current location at Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH).
“It is a huge task, moving approximately 50 employees and their respective materials, archive documents and storage items,” she said. “The move is planned for September, but the timeline may be subject to change.”
The relocation is necessary due to the deteriorating state of the Shannon building at SAH. Major renovations are needed to bring the building up to compliance to the building code. However, as SAH has earmarked the building for eventual demolition, renovations aren’t economically viable. Instead, the Conference has decided to relocate the office until the new Conference buildings at the Epping location are completed in or around 2025.
This move has many benefits, according to Conference leadership. Remaining in close proximity to the existing location, reinforcing professional relationships between the GSC and the SPD, and keeping funds within the church family are just a few of the upsides.
The relocation also keeps the Adventist mission front and centre. “The SPD has space in their building, and from a stewardship perspective it is best to rent within the church setting,” said GSC president Pastor Alban Matohiti.
Conference CFO Colin Raymond agreed: “Our membership will be pleased to know that with this relocation we are supporting a fellow church entity by renting their premises rather than those of an external party.”
