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Most national capital city central business districts experienced a greater influx of office workers during the first month of spring, according to the latest findings from the Property Council of Australia (PCA).
The PCA’s Office Occupancy Survey for September — conducted in the field between 26 and 30 September — found that almost all capital cities recorded an increase in the number of workers abandoning work-from-home arrangements. Brisbane led the charge as occupancy rates climbed from 57 per cent to 70 per cent, while Adelaide staked the claim as the most populous CBD, with office occupancy rates in the South Australian capital climbing to 78 per cent.
Both Perth and Melbourne saw rises, from 69 per cent to 76 per cent and 39 per cent to 41 per cent, respectively, while Sydney’s levels remained stable at 52 per cent.
The nation’s capital went the opposite direction as occupancy rates dropped 10 per cent to 54 per cent throughout September.
The survey noted a significant variation between the peak and low days of certain cities. For example, Perth’s peak days saw an occupancy rate of 84 per cent, although this figure fell back to 68 per cent on low days. Melbourne’s low days recorded the lowest rates of any capital at 25 per cent.
PCA chief executive officer Ken Morrison said the results of the survey were pleasing to see, even if they were anticipated.
“We expected to see office occupancy lift after the winter Omicron wave subsided, and that’s what we have witnessed in most capital cities around Australia,” he said.
While it is encouraging to see these rates climb significantly in some states, he did note that “the results are a lot lower in Melbourne and Sydney, which had more lockdown disruptions through the pandemic”.
“Our survey shows people are returning to their offices strongly on peak days, with peak day occupancy reaching 84 per cent in Perth, 83 per cent in Adelaide, 79 per cent in Brisbane, Sydney at 65 per cent, and 60 per cent in Canberra and Melbourne,” he said.
Mr Morrison added that Melbourne’s 9 per cent peak day figure increase was a “positive sign despite the overall occupancy rate remaining subdued”.
Warmer weather and the easing of the Omicron wave are two conditions he believes will entice “continued momentum in the months ahead”.
The survey also found that the major driver of occupancy levels was a preference for great flexibility, including work from home, which polled at 83 per cent, whereas health concerns’ influence on the data continues to plummet, down to 4 per cent in September after hitting 30 per cent in July.
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