Armidale Teachers' College location for new Department of Regional NSW office

When Premier Gladys Berejiklian visits Armidale on Friday, she is set to announce the government will spend $2 million on the heritage-listed building as the state government relocates up to 100 jobs to Armidale as part of its effort to decentralise the recently-created department.

Last week it was announced Ms Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Education Minister Sarah Mitchell had all confirmed their attendance for the opening of Armidale Secondary College on Friday.

The state's leaders will visit the Old Teacher's College on Friday morning and announce it will be the home to Armidale's Department of Regional NSW office, ahead of the school's official opening.

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In June last year Armidale was announced as one of four sites to be home to the newly-formed Department of Regional NSW, which started the hunt to find suitable premises to house the 100 new public servants coming to the city.

Less than a month later, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall hosted Department of Regional NSW Secretary Gary Barnes in Armidale and wasted no time in showing him through the Old Armidale Teachers' College, as a prospective location for the new department.

At the time, Mr Marshall said the community had been waiting for an opportunity like this to come along since the University of New England walked away from the building in 2018.

"The Old Teachers' College, which is now in the hands of NSW Education, is just what the department is after, with plenty of office space, good access and links to high quality digital connectivity," Mr Marshall said last year.

UNE had about 80 staff working in the building during its tenure, which he said showed the Teachers' College was more than capable of catering for that volume of personnel.

The New England Conservatorium of Music had been the only tenant in the building.