Melbourne’s return to office rate is the lowest among capital cities

The number of people travelling into the CBD on a weekday is the lowest of any capital city, although an uptick in weekend visits offers traders some relief.

Melbourne’s return to office rate continues to lag behind most major cities, with the number of CBD workers back at their desk at just 65 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

A new study which examined the movement of populations in major Australian capitals has revealed that as of April this year, Melbourne and Sydney remain the least recovered cities post Covid.

But the report, commissioned by DSpark on behalf of the Tourism and Transport Forum, found Melbourne’s world famous arts, cultural and events sectors had helped the city bounce back to life on weeknights and weekends.

Total visitation to Melbourne was at just 78 per cent of pre-Covid levels in April this year, with nights proving the most popular time to head into the CBD.

The return to the office remains slow in Melbourne. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Only Sydney recorded a lower visitation rate of 77 per cent last month, while Brisbane was at 86 per cent. Adelaide and Perth have both nearly met pre-Covid times, recording respective visitation rates of 94 per cent and 97 per cent.

The study analysed mobility data to determine that the average number of people heading into Melbourne on the weekend has reached pre-pandemic levels (101 per cent).

On weekdays, visitation to the city is the lowest of every other city, at just 75 per cent of pre-Covid figures.

But Melbourne’s revitalised CBD had fully bounced back last month on weeknights and over the weekend.

The city was at its busiest and surpassed 2019 levels between 9pm and midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said while the city’s jam-packed events schedule had lured people back, more work was needed to get the 9am to 5pm crowd back.

Weekends have overtaken weekdays as the busiest time for the CBD. Picture: David Crosling

“Clearly there’s a lot going on in Melbourne, and your locals have embraced the city again at a much faster rate, recognising it as a great place to visit but maybe not the place they’re as keen to go back to work,” she said.

“Building better on that after hours piece will help to encourage more and more people to come into the office.

The report found that cities on the Eastern seaboard, hit hardest by strict Covid lockdowns, were still experiencing the most resistance to ditch working from home.

“People have really embraced the whole concept of hybrid working,” Ms Osmond said.

“My gut tells me that we’re going to always see a hybrid model, so it’s almost as if we’ve got to rethink what really brings people back into the city, and it’s no longer just their jobs.

“Clearly, the groovier, the sexier and the vibey the city is, the more likely we’ll see people coming back more often.

“This is a big moment for the arts and cultural communities to really shine.”