For release: 11 April 2017
Full circle - ANZ staff return to Christchurch CBD
For many ANZ staff, yesterday’s return to the Christchurch CBD was a reunion with colleagues they hadn’t seen since the
2011 earthquake.
After the quake, staff at ANZ’s CBD office were moved to several locations around the city. Yesterday, they moved back
into the heart of the city with the opening of the new ANZ Centre on the corner of Colombo, Cashel and High Streets.
“It was a really emotional day for many of our staff,” said ANZ Senior Manager Corporate Property Matthew Clark.
“Not only were they returning to work in the CBD for the first time in six years, but they were reunited with workmates.
We literally had people embracing in the hallways. It’s been magic.”
The return to the city marks a full circle for many staff. For ANZ Executive Assistant Kay Humphrey it was a day she had
been looking forward to for a long time.
“I’ve worked for ANZ in Christchurch for seven years and up until the earthquake worked in the city,” she said.
“It was a difficult time. We went through a lot of aftershocks and sometimes be hiding under our desks. I think that
after everything we have experienced it’s really important for us to come back and be reconnected so we can all be happy
in this space.”
Chief Executive of the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce Peter Townsend said ANZ reopening in CBD was a vote of
confidence in Christchurch.
“Having companies like ANZ making a commitment and bringing people with them, joining other major companies coming back
into the CBD, is a wonderful thing to see,” he said.
”Of course ANZ was an early mover. They made a decision to come back into the city immediately after the earthquake.
It’s great to see them coming home.”
Construction of the ANZ Centre took over two years and cost $80 million to build.
To view a video capturing the first day in the ANZ Centre click here.