Atlassian, the technology giant that allows its staff to work from home anywhere, has started construction on a billion dollar plus office tower looming over Sydney’s Central Station.

Billionaire Atlassian co-CEO Scott Farquhar said the workplace collaboration software firm remained committed to its “Team Anywhere” policy, which allows staff to work anywhere it has a legal right to employ on a reasonable time zone, despite being the anchor tenant of the 40-storey new building.

Atlassian co-chief executive Scott Farquhar with a model of his company’s new headquarters.Credit:Peter Rae

“You can work in your apartment, you can work in an RV travelling around Australia,” said Farquhar, who did just that last year during a break. “Or, if you want to come to work in an office, you can come to work in this incredible office that we’re building, and we see people make each of those choices every single day.”

He did not directly answer questions about whether Atlassian, which is valued at $US72 billion ($103 billion), would eventually impose requirements or create inducements for some staff to work in the new tower.

The facility is on one side of the growing ‘silicon hills’ in Surry Hills that houses many of Australia’s fastest-growing tech companies. However, Farquhar said the office space would also be used for bringing Atlassian staff together for events.

A render of Atlassian Central, due for completion in 2027. Its top section slopes to the south-east to avoid overshadowing a public park nearby.

Officially known as part of the “Tech Central” locale, the sustainable tower is being developed by property giant Dexus with head construction contractors Built and Obayashi Corporation.

It is expected to be opened in 2027 and will largely sit atop the site of the Railway Square YHA, which will be dismantled for construction and then reassembled on the same site with the tower above it.

NSW Enterprise Minister Alister Henskens defended the state government’s decision to put a funding package of $48 million toward the project, which is in one of Sydney’s most densely populated areas, at a time when state and federal governments have trended toward creating jobs in outer suburban and regional areas.

“We are investing all across Sydney,” Henskens said. “No government has invested more in infrastructure in Western Sydney than this government. But it is incredibly important that we get a world leading tech ecosystem in our city. And this is the opportunity to do it,” he said, citing the University of Sydney and UTS nearby.

“There are so many reasons for why this is the place to build an ecosystem and we unashamedly want a Silicon Valley equivalent here in Sydney.”

While the new Tech Central project is technically in Haymarket, it borders Surry Hills, which is home to a string of buzzy start-ups such as Dovetail, founded by ex-Atlassian employees and worth close to $1 billion.

Many of the country’s largest investment firms, such as Square Peg Capital and Blackbird Ventures, also have offices in the gentrified suburb.

Farquhar, who has investments in many of Australia’s highest-profile start-ups, would not be drawn on the recent downturn that has seen a wave of job losses, saying instead that there were “ups and downs” but that the overall trend of the sector was rapid growth.

“I think everyone would agree that technology is a huge part of the future,” he said.

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