Government urged to allow CBD workers to get back to offices amid fears return could be delayed until 2023

A new push to allow office workers back into the CBD is being urged amid fears that offices will not return to full occupancy for at least two years.

The state government has been urged to let workers back into the CBD amid fears that offices will not return to full occupancy until early 2023.

The call came as Melbourne City Council rejected a Greens push to halt plans for discounted parking as a way of luring shoppers back to town.

New Property Council of Australia figures show that if Melbourne’s return to work arc follows that of Sydney, it will take 27 months to get back to 100 per cent occupancy, costing the state economy up to $6 billion.

“Even following the average trajectory of comparable global cities in a best-case scenario, a return to full occupancy will take 15 months,” said the Property Council’s interim state executive director Matthew Kandelaars

“Each day that a safe return to office is delayed represents more and more small businesses fighting for survival. A clear roadmap is needed immediately.”

Melbournes CBD has been largely deserted since workers were ordered to work from home. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Amid figures showing that Melbourne office occupancy rates are as low as seven per cent compared to 40 per cent in Sydney, Mr Kandelaars urged the government to act quickly to get office workers safely back into the CBD.

Mr Kandelaars said the central Melbourne economy usually had 500,000 jobs and produced seven per cent of national GDP, while a recent Property Council poll showed that more than 60 per cent of respondents were keen to return to their offices.

Meanwhile, City of Melbourne councillors have voted to direct management to look at discounted on-street parking and extending parking times as temporary measures to lure shoppers back to the inner city.

Melbourne CBD was usually bustling with office workers before the pandemic Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Labor councillor Davyyd Griffiths said that while he used public transport daily, the pro-car measures were needed because many people didn’t feel safe using trains and trams or cycling in for varying reasons.

“It’s important to make sure that people who want to come into the city to support businesses feel that they are able to come into the city,” he told a council meeting this week.

But Greens councillors opposed the move, saying that offering free parking would be “a recipe for congestion”.

“When we’ve got parklets, when we’ve got outdoor dining, when we’ve got all of the other measures that we are trying to roll out...to make this city a people-centred city, that’s not an option we should even be reviewing let alone considering,” said councillor Rohan Leppert.

The issue was won 9-2.

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Originally published as Government urged to allow CBD workers to get back to offices amid fears return could be delayed until 2023