While Brisbane has operated for the past two years as a sub-branch, it will now join London, Aberdeen and Houston as an operations centre, with responsibility for industry clients in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

The company has renovated the heritage-listed old Wynnum Central Post Office as its Australian headquarters.

The expansion will be formally announced and the office opened by Queensland Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel this evening.

RBA financial director John Blanchard has flown to Brisbane from London to participate in this important development in the company’s growth.

“The gas and oil industry is in a growth period at the moment, and this is particularly the case in Queensland where the economy is so robust,” Blanchard said.

“As a result, our London management team has decided that Brisbane would be an ideal city to base a fully fledged Australian operation of Rudall Blanchard Associates.”

RBA said even at this early stage, the expansion decision had been well justified.

“Our involvement in the Queensland oil and gas industry is going from strength to strength and we are currently negotiating a major contract in Southeast Asia,” Blanchard said.

RBA provides a range of services in the areas of health, safety and environment and corporate social responsibility. This includes, HSE operator training, HSE Management Systems and procedure development and implementation, risk assessments, emergency response and contingency plans.

RBA Australia/Asia director Catherine Brosnan said Brisbane was chosen because Queensland was seen as a key strategic location for growth in the oil and gas industry, particularly the coal seam methane growth in western Queensland and the Asia Pacific region.

AS the bulk of the company’s activities being undertaken in the field, RBA decided it was unnecessary to have a CBD office.

“Wynnum was selected by RBA because of its proximity to the city, airport and local refineries,” Ms Brosnan said.

“The relaxed bayside atmosphere supports the collegiate feeling we encourage. The building offered a sense of establishment and history and is an important architectural landmark of Wynnum.”

RBA’s Queensland operations moved from Wellington Point in June this year, taking over the lease of the old post office following an extensive refit in line with heritage listing requirements.

The old post office was built in 1923. After 71 years as the Post Office and Manual Telephone Exchange, its postal operations were transferred to a new modern building in Edith Street in 1994.