Rolling out new VicRoads licence testing centres
The Victorian government had an urgent requirement for new sites
Spotlight
Lease Negotiation
Time
2-4 months
Location
Victoria, Australia
Size
6 Centres; 100-300 sqm each
Challenge
VicRoads needed six additional license testing centres to accommodate a backlog of testing requirements that had built up over COVID-19 lockdowns. The organisation leaned on JLL to find the most appropriate buildings and fit them out as quickly as possible.
"We had a sudden requirement that occurred outside a normal cycle of events, and we are extremely grateful for how hard JLL worked to meet our aggressive timeline.”
Approach
JLL swept the real estate market for buildings and provided an assessment for each location to the department of transport and VicRoads to review. The urgent requirement to get licence testing back on track for the Victorian community, combined with the volatility of pandemic piled on the pressure for everyone involved. While four of the property inspections were able to take place just after the first of Victoria’s 2020 lockdowns, the final two fell within a second lockdown, which required workarounds and threatened delays.
We met regularly with the department and VicRoads to find ways to push ahead with securing sites amid a state-wide lockdown. The internal government organisation, Shared Services Provider, also helped with advancing approvals, enacting critical government clauses to facilitate lease negotiations.
Result
With the help of Shared Services Provider in expediting lease contracts, JLL was able to confirm new licence testing centre locations within four months of the requirements. Some locations took just two months, which is unheard of in the real estate world.
The new centres are located in the Victorian suburbs of South Morang, Mulgrave, Ringwood, Cranbourne West and Essendon Fields.
JLL mobilised its network and resources to complete the fit outs for each centre within seven to 10 days.