Fishermans Bend in Port Melbourne has been home to some of Melbourne’s powerhouses of industry since it was established as an industrial area in 1936.
The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and GM Holden were two of the early settlers in the flourishing business district, with both corporations setting up shop there in the first half of the 20th century.
The likes of Boeing and Toyota joined their ranks in time, which ultimately cemented the area as one of the city’s peak business districts.
Today, Fishermans Bend is still home to some of these giants in Australia’s manufacturing, research and design worlds. For AAPA, it was the perfect location for its new head office.
As of August this year, AAPA has joined these industry icons by relocating its head office to Sabre Drive at Fishermans Bend.
AAPA Chief Executive Office Michael Caltabiano explains the decision to move the organisation’s head office in Kew to the new location was all about growth and progression.
“The AAPA Board decided, that at our stage in development, we were ready to make that next step at an important time in the industry’s history,” he says.
“It represents the next step and next generation for AAPA.
“It’s a great location in Melbourne – we’ve got members just down the road and we are right next to the West Gate Freeway and Tullamarine Freeway for easy access.”
The new office is AAPA’s first fully owned premises and boasts facilities that can directly cater to the growth and innovation within the association.
“We have three dedicated areas for the training facility, one of which is the webinar room,” says Mr. Caltabiano.
The relocation to the Port Melbourne offices fosters the continued growth of AAPA’s Training Centre, which is taking industry learning to the next level – online.
AAPA has given emphasis to online learning and is dedicating resources to this endeavor after it trialled its Safely Handling Bituminous Materials online course last year. The webinar room will cater to this expansion into online and distance learning.
Mr. Caltabiano says that with the inclusion of dedicated training rooms and a webinar room, the new premises is bringing all of AAPA’s innovation and technical knowledge into one national hub of excellence, the new National Road Worker Training Centre.
“It also gives members a home, and provides a good level of stability,” he adds. “Members have really embraced it and they’ve been there in droves to both use the facilities and participate in what we’re doing.
“Staff are absolutely delighted too because it changes the way in which they work into more of an open plan environment that really focuses on teamwork.”
The new AAPA head office is located at Unit 2, 20-26 Sabre Drive, Port Melbourne, Victoria.