The Property Council of Australia has strongly welcomed a further easing of restrictions by the Victorian Government, which today announced masks will no longer be required in most Victorian indoor settings and that the strong recommendation Victorians work or study from home will be removed.
The Property Council of Australia’s Victorian Executive Director, Danni Hunter, said, “Melbourne’s CBD is the epicentre of Victoria’s economy. Removing the COVID restrictions from our offices means we can roll out the welcome mat and get the beating heart of Melbourne pumping once again.
“Melbourne is ready to transition from surviving to thriving and our CBD workers have been the missing piece,” said Ms Hunter. “Our offices are ready to welcome back our people – to reconnect, reboot and supercharge our economic recovery.
“With Victoria’s vaccination rates some of the highest in the country, we are pleased to welcome this positive step forward in our state’s recovery. We welcome the Victorian Government’s reception to the Property Council’s extensive advocacy on this issue over the last few weeks.”
Ms Hunter said that whilst the Melbourne City Recovery Fund is critical to short-term recovery, a long-term approach was required. “We were once the world’s most liveable city, and we must rapidly return our attention to restoring this standing,” she said. “It will require the coming together of our brightest minds, the business community, policy-makers and everyday Victorians.”
To fast track and amplify these efforts and the long-term recovery of Melbourne’s CBD, the Property Council is calling for a revived campaign to draw people back into the city in partnership with engaged industry associations, similar to the City of Melbourne and Property Council’s FOMO Fridays campaign.
The Property Council has also called upon the Victorian Government to convene a Future of Melbourne’s CBD Summit in the next two months, which would bring together government, business and community leaders to reimagine the future of the CBD with purposeful leadership.
The Property Council applauded the Victorian Government and City of Melbourne’s announcement to pump $100 million worth of dining, wining and travel vouchers distributed to locals into the CBD to supercharge short-term economic activity for retailers and hospitality providers.
The Property Council of Australia’s latest Office Occupancy Survey shows office occupancy in the CBD tripled in November, reaching 12 per cent of pre-COVID levels.
Melbourne’s central city economy supported about 500,000 jobs and produced about seven per cent of Australia’s GDP and 25 per cent of Victoria’s GDP at its peak before the pandemic started.
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