THE struggle to find enough office space for growing numbers of public servants in Cairns will soon ease with the go-ahead of a new $79.5 million government building.

Work on stage two of the William McCormack Place complex in Sheridan St will start in June for completion in early 2010.

Announcing the project on site on Thursday, Cairns MP Desley Boyle said stage one, which opened in 2003, was the first commercial office building in Australia given a five-star energy-efficiency rating and the next stage would set an even higher environmental standard.

“That (earlier) standard is a bit passe now … at the time it was about energy only, but now they’re looking at water and lighting and other ways that can make it more sustainable,” Ms Boyle said.

Unlike the first stage which houses only State Government employees, the MP said half of the next stage would be available for rental to the private sector.

At the moment staff were having to lease a lot of private space, including six floors of the new Citi Central office tower at the corner of Spence and Sheridan streets, she said.

“Having our own building protects us from the private sector to an extent because it means we’re not entirely at the vagaries of the market,” Ms Boyle said.

"Staff in the first building … mainly from departments such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Natural Resources … found it “really workable”.

"It’s designed so that the staff are positioned all around the edges so they can take advantage of natural light,” she said.

“So, far from being stuck in a real barn with artificial light and bosses getting all the windows, this is the reverse.”

The new building’s design will include a maximum amount of natural light, energy-efficient air-conditioning, off-peak power to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and water-saving devices such as using rainwater and grey water  for toilet flushing and garden irrigation.

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