‘New norm’: Brisbane office workers shunning CBD to WFH

There are growing calls for a new era for Brisbane in a bid to arrest a trend dating back to the start of Covid.

Brisbane office workers are still shunning cubicles and colleagues in favour of working from home in “a new norm”, with the number of workers in the CBD down on pre-pandemic levels by over a quarter.

The trend has sparked calls for all three levels of government to revitalise the city with arts, culture, restaurants, music and major events, in a bid to bring in more visitors, families – and even lure back workers who traded in the commute for working from the couch.

Research commissioned by the Tourism and Transport Forum found while visitors to the Brisbane CBD were back to almost 90 per cent of pre-Covid levels, the number of workers in the city was just under three-quarters of that benchmark.

Brisbane’s CBD visitation has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Picture: Annette Dew

The figures, measured in April, were an improvement on those of last July.

But Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said the number of workers in the CBD remained stubbornly down.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt we’re looking at a new normal here,” she said.

“Even with a concerted discussion at the moment about people returning to the office five days a week, it’s likely you are going to see people wanting to have a hybrid working relationship.”

She said there was evidence of families starting to come back to the city during weekday nights, driven by events including concerts and culture.

“If you want a healthy CBD, you need a healthy arts and culture sector, hospitalities, restaurants and major events,” Ms Osmond said.

“That’s what’s bringing people back into the city.

“Making far more vibrant CBDs will make it more attractive for workers to come back to the CBD full-time as well.”

Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond

Ms Osmond said it was “absolutely clear” a hybrid working model, with staff choosing to work from home at least a few days a week, was entrenched across Australia.

“There’s a place for the hybrid working model now, but you get the most exciting work, the most creative work when people work in the same place,” she said.

“This has to be a case of encouraging people to come back to the city because it’s a fabulous place to be, not simply because we have offices to fill.”

In an unusual quirk, the data in the report showed the time period that showed the best recovery in the number of people in the CBD compared to pre-pandemic was between 5am and 6am on weekdays.

It was up 102 per cent, even higher than it was during the 2019.

Ms Osmond said this was likely driven by construction workers, such as at the Queen’s Wharf development.

A lone worker in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall during the July 2021 lockdown

Originally published as ‘New norm’: Brisbane office workers shunning CBD to WFH