Melbourne’s Return-To-Office Rate Lagging Behind The Nation

CBD: a ghost town


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Melbourne's return-to-office occupancy rates are going backwards according to the latest data, with CBD businesses bearing the brunt of Covid lockdowns.

The dire new figures revealed in the latest Property Council of Australia survey, show city offices were only 38 per cent full during July, down from 49 per cent in June.

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Lagging behind the rest of the nation, Lord Mayor Sally Capp told Seven it's challenging because there's also evidence of record visitor numbers to the city.

"People are coming to the city in high numbers for leisure, retail and dining. We've had our biggest spend ever in July.

"So that confidence to come in for fun is there, but the confidence to come in for work is not and we need to change that," she said.

Shadow Minister for CBD Recovery David Southwick said the Government needs a return-to-work plan, even if it is a hybrid model.

"Our CBD is a ghost town. Melbourne is not recovering, it's in reverse," he said. "And if other states can bring workers back, then why can't we."

But Melbourne is not isolated in its experience, the latest ABS data reveals 41 per cent of Australians are regularly working from home, with up from 32 per cent before the pandemic.

What remains obvious, is that while hybrid working, a symptom of the Covid pandemic, seems here to stay, the greater impact is the ongoing damage to smaller businesses and a once thriving CBD.

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Hit News Team

11 August 2022

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