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World

Australian property body calls for investment into half-empty cities

2022-07-14 15:20:28

SYDNEY, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Australian property advocacy body, the Property Council of Australia, has made a call for investment into the nation's cities which are left half empty as people's return to the office continues to stagnate.

Property Council's NSW Executive Director Luke Achterstraat said there had been a positive lift in occupancy from 7 percent at the beginning of the year to 55 percent in May in the nation's largest capital, Sydney.

However, in June the return to the office has begun to stagnate across the nation -- in Sydney remaining at 55 percent, dropping in Canberra and barely moving in other capitals.

Achterstraat said the figures should be a "wakeup call" to policy makers and that greater support would be needed to attract people and investment back to the city.

"One month of data does not equal a trend, so now is the time for government and employers to double down and maintain momentum for the return to office," he said.

He attributed the stagnation in Sydney to disruptions to the train network, severe weather and an uptick in flu and COVID-19 cases.

Achterstraat voiced support for employers to put into place COVID-safe plans, and said that high vaccination rates would allow for a safe return.

He called on the government of the state of New South Wales (NSW) to lead by example and ramp up the return of public servants to the office.

And while building owners and businesses are keen to see the revival of city life, many Australians have grown accustomed to the added flexibility of working from home.

A survey from the council revealed that the flexibility of working from home was the largest factor in the stalled return, with over 60 percent of workers preferring work from home arrangements.

Australia's 2021 census showed that over 41 percent of employees worked from home regularly -- a nearly 30 percent increase from before the pandemic. 

Editor:Jiang Yiwei