The Guardians has negotiated a lease agreement with Cooper and Company for office space in the Chief Post Office building above Britomart Transport Centre and will relocate from Jarden House in 2026.

“By 2026 our current office space will become too small for what we will need,” says Paula Steed, General Manager Strategy and Shared Services.

The Guardians currently employs around 200 people and by mid-2025 it’s likely that there may be up to around 300 employees.

Paula adds, “With a larger team, we need a larger space. We were attracted to the Chief Post Office building, which is currently being refurbished, as we will be able to have more of the team on the same floor.”

The asset and development manager for the Britomart Group is Cooper and Company, which holds a contract for the long-term ownership and development of the Britomart precinct – the 6.5-hectare waterfront precinct between the Waitemata Harbour and Auckland’s lower CBD.

Cooper and Company expects the building, post-refurbishment, to achieve a minimum rating of 5 Green Stars, to be certified by the NZ Green Building Council. It is also aiming to achieve a minimum WELL Gold rating from the International WELL Building Institute.

Britomart Group will measure and manage carbon emissions according to the requirements of the Toitū Carbonreduce programme.

In addition to the carbon footprint, the Guardians will also be considering how to integrate modern and hybrid ways of working into the fit out.

Auckland’s Chief Post Office began construction in 1909, and was opened in 1912 by Prime Minster William Massey to a crowd of almost 10,000 people.

Clad in Oamaru stone and Coromandel granite, the Chief Post Office Building was heralded as a milestone of Auckland’s progress at its opening. Its current refurbishment is the latest stage in Cooper and Company’s 15-year rejuvenation for the nine-block Britomart precinct.

“We’re pleased our cornerstone lease will help preserve a Category One Historic Place for another generation,” says Paula.