City traders ready to welcome office workers back to the CBD

Small business are urging the government to get workers back to the city, with a decision about office returns set to be made in the next 24 hours.

Melbourne’s office workers are being called on to ­revitalise the city, with traders and business groups urging the government and big companies to get staff back to work in the CBD.

As a decision looms over whether the government will allow more workers to return to offices from Monday, small businesses are calling on ­Victorians to come back to the city centre.

Capacity limits for offices were due to increase to 50 per cent for the private sector and 25 per cent for the public serviceon January 11, but this was delayed a week while authorities worked to contain the Black Rock cluster.

Within the next 24 hours, the government is expected to increase office capacity limits and lift the requirement for masksto be worn indoors.

The Black Rock outbreak is now believed to be under control, with Victoria on Tuesday recording a sixth consecutive day withoutan infection community.

An infected man who ­attended the Boxing Day Test has not been linked to any other clusters, but no other cases have emerged.

Ben Luzz owns Bijou in Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Picture: Josie Hayden

Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang said if the government allowed workers to return, larger employers should encourage staff to come back.

“Melbourne’s CBD is effectively on life support,” he said.

“The easiest way to resuscitate is to get the office workers back.

“Larger employers understand that customers and cash flow are the lifeblood of small business.”

Mr Lang said the state’s improved outbreak control would provide the confidence to send more people back.

“The Victorian government at last has a quality tracing QR code system in place and available free to every business,” he said.

On Tuesday, pedestrian counters on Bourke Street Mall detected just 742 people during the lunchtime peak — down 1861 compared to the same period last year.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said having office-based workers return to their workplaces would provide a lifeline for city businesses.

“We are committed to having 100 per cent of our workforce return as soon as possible and we encourage employers across thecity to do the same,” she said.

David Malaspina, owner of city institution Pellegrinis, said businesses like his needed support from Victorians while the tourist market was down.

“It’s very quiet without our regulars here and they are the majority of our lunchtime trade,” he said.

“We’d like to see them back, the government seems to have things under control.”

Peter Savva runs Flowers Round The Hours. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Mr Malaspina, whose father Sisto was killed in the 2018 Bourke St attack, said having more private and government workers in city would promote confidence and bring other customers in.

“They should lead the charge a bit, let people know its safe to get back.”

Block Arcade owner Grant Cohen said the state government caps should be adjusted to 50 per cent for both private and public sectors to get the CBD economy off life-support.

“If it’s safe for 50 per cent of private workers, then it’s safe for public servants,’’ Mr Cohen said.

“And any date from now would be good to bring them back.

“It would be a fantastic defibrillator shock to the city.

“Without international tourists, we need workers in the city, and with another day of zero cases we need them back to eat and to shop and to enjoy entertainment.’’

Restaurant and Caterers Association chief executive Wes Lambert said any back-to-work plan needed to be devised to avoid stop-start changes that disrupted businesses.

“It’s very important to have a plan for a return to the office that allows for every time there are a few cases. And there will be more cases, while we have hotel quarantine of overseas travellers.’’

ANZ, one of the city’s largest employers with 6500 workers on site at its Docklands HQ pre-COVID, said it would decide on workers’ returning at the end of January, based on public health advice.

“However, we have made more space available in our Melbourne office should any staff members want to return to the office earlier,’’ a spokesman said. 

Florist Peter Savva, from Flowers Around The Hours outside Town Hall on Swanston St, relies on passing foot traffic to keep the business afloat.

“We need to get all the office workers back into the city, not just for us, but for all the cafes,’’ Mr Savva said.

Rocco Elice works at CBD icon Pellegrini’s. Picture: Jason Edwards

The florist had missed out on trade from school and university graduation ceremonies at Town Hall and not even a small pre-Christmas jump in business could salvage a tough 2020.

“We’re hoping for a better year this year.’’

University of Melbourne epidemiologist Professor Nancy Baxter said Victoria’s position had improved now no further cases were linked to the Black Rock cluster.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a time when we’re not concerned in some way,” she said.

“That has to be balance with getting things ‘COVID normal’. There is opportunity to get people back to work but it has to be done in a COVIDSafe way.”

Prof Baxter said workplaces should get on top of poor ventilation to minimise the risk of outbreaks spread too far.

She said frontline workers, particularly those in hotel quarantine, should be vaccinated as soon as possible.

Australian National University’s Professor Peter Collignon, an expert in infectious diseases, said it appeared there was little coronavirus in the Victorian community.

He said the ideal model over the next year would a mixture of working from home and a return to offices.

“The less crowding we have the better … It will be dependent on the office and what they dor,” he said.

Prof Collignon said the benefit of people wearing masks at their desks was small while community transmission continued to be low.

“Masks decrease your risk by 20 per cent, if you have a lot of community transmission it makes a lot of difference,” he said

“If you don’t have community transmission the value diminishes.

“We will have to tailor our restrictions compared to the risk in the community.”

More than 2000 respondents to a Herald Sun Facebook poll said Victoria’s mask rules should be eased back to only being mandatory in supermarkets, shopping centres, Ubers and taxis, public transport and retail stores larger than 2000 sq m.

About 500 people said they should not change.

Julian Kennelly, spokesman for public service union CPSU, said many public servants such as court, parliament, hotel quarantine and WorkSafe had been working on site through the pandemic. 

Many public servants would look at returning after Australia Day, even if part-time, he said.

The union was working with the government on staggered start times to ease crowding on public transport and workplace foyers and lifts.