CBD looking ‘pretty grim’ amid sluggish return to Melbourne offices

Offices in Melbourne’s CBD are only at 26 per cent of pre-COVID capacity, new data reveals.

The Property Council of Australia surveyed city building owners and managers after the fourth lockdown.

Prior to the most recent lockdown, offices were at 45 per cent of pre-pandemic occupancy.

But it took months to reach that point.

“It took us about three months to get to that 45 per cent after the February lockdown,” Victorian executive director of the Property Council, Danni Hunter, told Tony Jones, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

“It is pretty grim for the CBD.”

Ms Hunter called for the state government and businesses to work together to make returning to the CBD a more attractive option.

“What we need to do is turn out attention very quickly to where we’re going to next, to make sure that we don’t take another three months to get back up to barely half,” she said.

“We need more of an effort … things like public transport being free and a really significant marketing campaign around the CBD and the attractions that Melbourne has to offer.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about what the Property Council thinks will bring people back to the city