The Hub Norfolk   

Project Concept Document                    

TABLE OF CONTENTS  

1 GENERAL 3 1.1 PURPOSE 3 

2 THE PROJECT 3 2.1 THE BACKGROUND 3 2.2 GLOBAL DEMAND 4 2.3 VISION STATEMENT 6 2.4 OBJECTIVES 6 2.5 TARGET AUDIENCES 7 

3 PROJECT CONCEPT 7 3.1 DESIGN 7 3.2 FACILITIES 11 3.3 OPERATIONS 11 3.4 USER OPTIONS 11 

4 WHO WE ARE 11 

5 GLOBAL EXAMPLES 12 5.1 WeWork 12 5.2 BEACHES COWORKING 12 

6 PROPOSED NEXT STEPS 12 

              

1 GENERAL 

1.1 PURPOSE This document summarises the project concept for The Hub Norfolk. This document is part of a market sounding process to ascertain the demand for such a concept on Norfolk Island. 

2 THE PROJECT The Hub Norfolk is a dedicated shared office space on Norfolk Island. The space is proposed to be located in the heart of Burnt Pine with a mix of both private office spaces, open planned shared office space and a conference room. The facility will have high quality services and facilities to meet the needs of the modern globally connect business. 

2.1 THE BACKGROUND In 2015, the Norfolk Islanders Abroad group released the below report outlining a range of recommendations for the government to encourage skilled Norfolk Islanders abroad to reside back on the island. 

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/dh9brq6g24y3lf8/Norfolk%20Islanders%20Abroad%20-%20Survey%20Results%2C%20Findings%20and%20Policy%20Recommendation%20Report_0.pdf?dl=0 

 In-line with the recommendations, the concept of a shared-office space facility could assist in facilitating skilled Norfolk Islanders (plus other residents) to reside on Norfolk Island. Some key points raised in the report that The Hub Norfolk could assist with are highlighted below.  

● The top attribute for living where they currently lived was for employment 

opportunities and jobs 

● The top driver to move to Norfolk Island would be for career, jobs and 

employment opportunities 

● Their 'Dream Life' involved living on Norfolk and it was mentioned to work 

remotely on the island (potentially for existing companies - subject to providing 

business development support and infrastructure), plus the opportunity to own 

their own local business 

 The Hub Norfolk could be a driver to:  

● Allow Norfolk islanders abroad to encourage flexible working arrangements with 

existing companies with a base on Norfolk (part-time or full time) 

● Allow Norfolk islanders abroad to feel confident to start a small business on 

Norfolk with the support of a high quality, dedicated office facility 

2.2 GLOBAL DEMAND There has been considerable global growth in office co-working spaces with the Asia/Pacific and India region at 3,975 spaces (the largest region) and the total global spaces 11,790 in 2017.[1] 

 The below figure highlights the predicted growth for global coworking spaces. These figures showcase the demand for these services due to the growth of start-ups and small businesses and the opportunity for flexible work options. 

 Figure 1: Global number of coworking spaces – 2017 forecast 

    

Specifically in Australia, Knight Frank has found the amount of space occupied by co-working hubs has risen by a significant 750% in the past three years (from 2016). Their growing popularity has been attributed to the rise of freelancers and start-ups, technological changes, a shift toward self-employment and greater numbers of Gen Y workers. In Melbourne, co-working space accounts for 0.8 percent of total office stock.[2]  Key facts about co-working spaces[3] 

The Australian Government has provided specific programs to support coworking spaces and home-based workers at the state and city level through programs such as:  LaunchVic Program[4] In 2016, the entity LaunchVic was launched by the State Government of Victoria alongside the state’s startup community to increase scale and improve capability. The A$60 million fund is being provided over 4 years from 2016 - 2020, funding programs to support Victorian startups by: 

● Fostering a more collaborative and linked network of co-working spaces, incubators and accelerators. 

● Encouraging the clustering of destination hubs that build capacity and connectedness within the startup community. These ‘Launch Hubs’ are focal points to lift global visibility and brand Victoria as a regional startup powerhouse. 

● Building capability through improved advocacy, education programs, mentoring, events, hackathons, competitions, improving access to venture capital and startup ecosystem mapping.  

 CBR Innovation Network Program[5] 

In 2014, the ACT Government established CBR Innovation Network Program to play a major role in accelerating innovation and growth to maximise wealth creation and transformation of the ACT. The program works to assist small businesses to innovate in a number of ways by: 

● Providing co-working space. ● Connecting small businesses with the support they need to accelerate their 

growth. 

2.3 VISION STATEMENT  

The vision statement for the project is:  

To provide a high-quality, specifically designed shared office space to meet the needs of the modern, globally connected business in an ideal coastal location. 

2.4 OBJECTIVES The key objectives for The Hub Norfolk are:  

● To provide Norfolk Island and international businesses a shared office space with 

modern and professional facilities to allow them to grow, develop and interact on a 

global scale 

● To provide a Hub on Norfolk Island for the community to share, innovate, inspire in a 

creative encouraging professional space to develop small businesses   

● To raise the profile of Norfolk Island as a place to work and do business   

2.5 TARGET AUDIENCES There are 6 potential target audiences for The Hub Norfolk  

● International and Australian companies with employees residing on Norfolk Island (either 

permanently or temporarily) 

● Government employees and contractors regularly travelling to Norfolk Island for work 

purposes that don’t have access to office facilities 

● International and Australian small business owners on holiday on Norfolk Island requiring 

to continue to operate their business while on holiday 

● PR and Media professionals developing media coverage for Norfolk Island requiring 

high speed internet and professional office facilities 

● Norfolk Island businesses wanting a modern hub with professional facilities to 

operate/start up their business 

● Norfolk Islanders looking for a professional space to undertake further study 

  

3 PROJECT CONCEPT 

3.1 DESIGN The physical layout and design of The Hub Norfolk may include a fresh modern, creative, practical shared office space with a selection of private offices, a conference room and open plan shared office desks. 

 

To fit with the local community a beach/coastal and Polynesian theme will be woven through the fit out and design of the space. Below highlight a few examples of shared office space to visualise the concept. 

 Image one: Light, fresh, shared open space example  

  Image two: Light, fresh, modern, open shared office space example   

   

Image three: private office space example   

   

Image Four: Engagement with the front street example  

  

    

Image Five: Example of the variety of seating options in the space  

     

Image Six: Example of booth concept in the space  

     

3.2 FACILITIES The Hub Norfolk proposes to be a multi-purpose facility that provides all the facilities needed for a global business. Key facilities include:  

● Private offices 

● Open planned shared office space 

● Conference room with video conference facilities 

● On-site barista coffee facilities 

● High speed internet, with secure networks 

● Printing and scanning facilities 

● Kitchen and bathroom facilities 

3.3 OPERATIONS To meet the needs of the global business, The Hub Norfolk will have: 

● 24/7 access for users ● Dedicated reception staff during business hours, and 24/7 after hours support ● High speed wired internet ● Online booking tool for users, casual uses and booking of conference room 

 

3.4 USER OPTIONS There will be a variety of user options to cater for the different needs of our key target audiences 

● Casual visits – half day or full day (private office and open plan options) 

● Part time – 3 full days (private office and open plan options) – min 6 month contract 

● Full Time – 5 full days (private office and open plan options) – min 6 month contract 

● Conference facility - hourly, half day or full day options 

4 WHO WE ARE The project, if feasible, will be delivered by Kylie and Michael Sterling whom are both Norfolk Islanders currently based abroad. Kylie and Michael own two businesses on Norfolk Island including four star boutique tourist accommodation and a commercial property on Taylors road. Kylie currently works for the Australian federal government in attracting foreign direct investment 

(FDI) into Australia and assisting Australian companies to export to the global market. Michael currently works for the second largest multinational engineering group and is responsible for the development of the Australian and New Zealand infrastructure division.  Both Kylie and Michael have a strong understanding of the Norfolk Island economy both in its challenges and strengths and have highlighted the Hub Norfolk as a potential opportunity. With their high skills and experience in tourism, global business, government relations and understanding, investment attraction, billion-dollar project management, operating small businesses and an MBA and a Masters in Business Leadership they make a strong team to deliver the project.  

 

5 GLOBAL EXAMPLES 

5.1 WeWork  WeWork is a global network of workspaces where companies and people grow together. WeWork transforms buildings into dynamic environments for creativity, focus, and connection. More than just the best place to work, this is a movement toward humanizing work. WeWork believe that CEOs can help each other, offices can use the comforts of home, and we can all look forward to Monday if we find real meaning in what we do.  "There's something empowering about working in a space where you are encouraged to create brilliant ideas that disrupt culture followed by the support of a team of people who want you to win." 

5.2 BEACHES COWORKING Located right in the heart of Mona Vale on Sydney's Northern Beaches, Beaches offers light, airy coworking space and is the perfect place to kick start your productivity. Beaches offer a selection of full time, part time and hot desks, plus a couple of private offices and breakout/meeting spaces.  

  

6 PROPOSED NEXT STEPS The below indicates the proposed next steps for The Hub Norfolk.  Table 1 Next Steps  

Activity  Details  Status 

Market sounding  Discussions with key players (potential customers/partners) through one-on-one meetings, surveys, phone calls to ascertain need and demand for a shared office space 

In progress 

Grant and government funding options 

Work with Regional Development Australia and other government departments for potential grant and funding options 

Early stage discussions 

Private Investment option 

Identifying and working with key investors for potential investment models 

Early state discussions 

Site selection  From the discussions, select best site option 

Early stage discussions 

Build/Design/Fit out  Discussions with builder, architect, and interior designer 

Early stage discussions 

Facilities  Discussions with internet provider, on-line systems provider plus other facility requirements 

Early stage discussions 

PR/Marketing  Development and implementation  TBC 

    

 [1] GCUC & Emergent Research: Number of US and Global Coworking Spaces and Members 2017-2022 

[2] http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/2016/jul/co-working-revolution-has-led-to-the-rise-of-co-working-hubs-in-melbourne [3] https://www.officevibe.com/blog/11-incredible-coworking-statistics-infographic 

[4] http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/how-we-can-help/planning/incentives-grants-and-programs# [5] https://www.business.act.gov.au/business_advice/grow_your_business/innovation