The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
FINAL CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR URBANITY-25 JOIN MORE THAN 550 ALREADY ATTENDING
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR URBANITY 550+ ALREADY ATTENDING
REGISTER NOWDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
1
print
Print
OtherTaryn ParisSun 17 Jan 21

CBD Gain as Melbourne Returns to the Office

b86b3721-8fe9-4a25-b731-b713be62942a

Victorians can officially turn off their out of office notifications as they return to Melbourne CBD offices this week.

Premier Daniel Andrews has green-lit a staged return to the workplace with no evidence of community transmission of Covid-19, and said it would rejuvenate the embattled CBD.

“This will be a massive boost not only for the office workplaces in the heart of Melbourne, but the cafes, restaurants, bars and shops that rely on their business.

“It will be fantastic to see the city coming alive again,” Andrews said.

The Victorian public service will operate at 25 per cent capacity on-site, while other offices can increase to 50 per cent capacity.

But businesses will be forced to continue the record keeping of all workers and visitors who attend the premises for longer than 15 minutes.

It’s welcome relief for the beleaguered commercial office space market, which took a significant hit in 2020 with extended lockdowns and a shift to working from home.

▲ Up to 50 per cent of office workers can return to their desks in Melbourne's CBD without being required to wear a mask indoors.


There was significant investment in new office space already in the pipeline when Covid-19 hit, with a further 1.2 million square metres to be added to CBDs across the country by the end of 2022, two-thirds of which was in Melbourne and Sydney.

According to Deloitte’s quarterly Business Outlook report the value of building approvals is now falling at double-digit rates. Commercial construction is forecast to return to making a positive contribution to the Australian economy in late 2021.

The report is, however, optimistic about Victoria’s recovery, forecasting 5.3 per cent growth in the economy this year, the fastest in the country. Similarly, Victoria’s labour market has also bounced back from a Covid low in September 2020 to just 2.1 per cent below pre-Covid levels at the end of November.

The Australian Industry Group welcomed the move to allow employees back in the workplace.

But Victorian head of the Ai Group Tim Piper said more needed to be done to change the new permit system and allow greater movement between borders for businesses that needed to use interstate employees.

“[It] is causing considerable strain for some businesses, particularly those who need to use interstate workers in Victoria or to send workers interstate for projects.

“Work in other states is being impeded as businesses and employees don’t want to leave Victoria if there is a danger that they may not be able to return,” Piper said.

OtherOfficeAustraliaFinanceReal EstatePlanningPlanningSector
AUTHOR
Taryn Paris
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Warren and Mahoney Western Bulldogs Women's Health and Leadership Hub HERO
Exclusive

Beyond the Boys’ Club: Inclusive Architecture Disrupting Sporting Precincts

Leon Della Bosca
7 Min
Exclusive

Inside the $10m Heritage Refit of Sydney’s $25,000-a-Year Members’ Club

Taryn Paris
4 Min
Kurraba Point 93 Kurraba Road TUD PLUS
Residential

Council Over Court: How HFO Won Rare North Sydney Approval

Vanessa Croll
7 Min
Exclusive

Why Sentinel is Betting Big on Olympic City Office Sector

Phil Bartsch
5 Min
The Port of Brisbane has released its Vision 2060 which details the need for inland rail connectivity
Infrastructure

Brisbane Port’s $15bn Future Faces One Big Obstacle

Renee McKeown
5 Min
View All >
Warren and Mahoney Western Bulldogs Women's Health and Leadership Hub HERO
Exclusive

Beyond the Boys’ Club: Inclusive Architecture Disrupting Sporting Precincts

Leon Della Bosca
Development

Zen Group’s West End Towers Greenlit

Taryn Paris
An aerial view of Ipswich, whose suburb Springfield Lakes, had the highest number of house sales for Queensland in Q2, 2025.
Residential

Ipswich Suburb Leads Queensland House Sales

Marisa Wikramanayake
A quiet dark horse in the race, Ipswich's Springfield Lakes has now topped Queensland's house sales list for the second …
LATEST
Warren and Mahoney Western Bulldogs Women's Health and Leadership Hub HERO
Exclusive

Beyond the Boys’ Club: Inclusive Architecture Disrupting Sporting Precincts

Leon Della Bosca
7 Min
Development

Zen Group’s West End Towers Greenlit

Taryn Paris
2 Min
An aerial view of Ipswich, whose suburb Springfield Lakes, had the highest number of house sales for Queensland in Q2, 2025.
Residential

Ipswich Suburb Leads Queensland House Sales

Marisa Wikramanayake
5 Min
Court Place in the Subi East precinct is set to deliver 447 new homes, including 300 affordable and 147 social homes in a prime location just four kilometres from the Perth CBD.
Community

Providers Selected for Subi, East Freo Housing Projects

Renee McKeown
3 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/cbd-gain-as-melbourne-returns-to-the-office