By Alesha Capone
A new emergency communications centre, which will house triple-0 operators, has officially opened in Williams Landing.
Victoria’s Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) hosted the opening of its Overton Road centre on Friday.
ESTA is moving its 24-hour police and VICSES call-taking operations from Docklands to the purpose-built centre in Williams Landing.
ESTA chief executive Marty Smyth said triple-0 operators answered more than 2.6 million calls for help each year and that the new Williams Landing centre would help to meet growth in demand.
“It’s an exciting and significant milestone in ESTA’s capability to add increased call-taking and dispatch capacity, provide for future growth of the workforce and offer employment opportunities in the area of Wyndham City and surrounds,” Mr Smyth said.
“In the next 12-24 months, we will be looking to increase the centre’s capability to include ambulance and fire services, which could generate more than 100 new job opportunities.”
In April, Star Weekly reported that the emergency communications facility had been sold for $25.93 million.
Cedar Woods Properties Limited sold the four-storey building to Hellenic Property Investments Pty Ltd, which has, in turn, leased the property to the state government under a 15-year agreement.
Cedar Woods managing director Nathan Blackburne said the emergency communications centre featured “sophisticated IT systems, back-up power, and high-quality finishes and materials throughout”.
“There are also acoustic treatments to the building which help to limit internal noise transfer and much more,” he said.
Wyndham mayor Josh Gilligan, said: “We welcome this new facility to Wyndham which shows the city’s ability to attract large organisations seeking access to a professional services workforce.”
ESTA also has State Emergency Communications Centres in Burwood East and at Mt Helen, near Ballarat.
