Opposite St George’s Terrace, two cafes tell the story of how the Perth CBD is recovering from COVID.
Key points:
- The removal of the mask warrants brought the workers back to the CBD
- But flexible work policies mean there are fewer in the office than before
- It means that the CBD will have to keep evolving to meet changing demand
Many companies that relied on office workers ’dollars pushed themselves to the limit during the first half of the year with mask mandates keeping many of them at home.
“You could almost play football on the terrace,” said baron Anthony Arnold.
From behind the coffee machine at the base of a 12-story office building, he has had a front row seat for staff working from home.
“We’re probably about 50 percent to a third of where we were before, but we certainly notice a difference week by week,” he said.
Anthony Arnold has seen first-hand the influx and ebb of workers during the pandemic. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Unique dishes help withstand the storm of COVID
Across the road is a very different cafe, offering cheesecakes that look like real slices of cheese and coffee served with avocado.
Co-owner Nancy Seng said her focus was not on caring for workers, but on doing “something different.”
Since opening her coffee shop earlier this year, Ms. Seng has been trying to attract customers through social media. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
“We’ve always wanted to bring something new to Perth,” he said.
“Especially with our dessert too, you probably can’t see it anywhere in Perth, so everything here is unique.”
Through social media advertising, including TikTok, Ms. Seng has been able to attract customers to the city or attract the attention of tourists, rather than relying on office workers.
Ms. Seng’s cafe sells a variety of unique dishes, including fruit-like cakes. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
It means your cafeteria wasn’t as affected as others when more people were working from home, and things are getting even better now that travel continues to increase.
“I’ve noticed a difference over the last couple of months, and people keep telling me‘ I’m from the eastern states, ’” he said.
The removal of the masks brought the workers back
Google Mobility Data, which uses information from people’s smartphones, provides some of the best information available on how routines have changed over the past two years.
For most of 2021, it showed that the number of people in jobs in the city of Perth was at levels above or above COVID.
However, once workers returned in early 2022, with current mask warrants in place, those numbers were steadily declining, dropping by about 13 per cent more than pre-pandemic rates in mid-April.
As the requirement to wear masks was removed in late April, this measure increased by about 6 percent.
It then fell again when WA reached its second peak of COVID, but remains at levels not seen since early March.
However, rates for what Google calls “retail and recreation” are much lower than last year.
These figures are probably influenced by the fact that, although many have returned to the city, they only do so part of the week.
Some of the CBD’s top employers, such as Rio Tinto, the law firm MinterEllison, and consulting firm KPMG, continue to have “flexible working” policies that allow staff to work part-time at home and part-time in the office.
This is worrying news for people like Mr. Arnold, who fears what lower levels of activity will mean.
“I would probably see the closure of many premises,” he said.
But rates are still better than in other Australian cities, with Sydney offices still 30% quieter than before COVID and Melbourne offices 15% lower.
A city that is evolving to meet post-COVID demands
Linda Robson lectures on geography and regional development at WA University and said the past two years had accelerated the way the city was already moving.
This includes more people working from home and, in turn, probably companies that reduce the size of their offices as fewer employees come to the office every day.
“It’s pretty amazing how long people resisted online meetings and stuff because the technology has been there for a while,” he said.
Linda Robson says COVID-19 has accelerated changes that had already been made before the virus. (Provided by: Linda Robson)
“But I think people will return to the CBD mainly because we missed it.
“People are gregarious, they like to get to know each other, they like to exchange ideas.”
And as people’s work habits evolve, so will the way CBD is used.
It means there could be more hunger for companies like Ms. Seng’s and more challenges for those caring for workers, like Mr. Arnold’s.
Although masks are no longer needed, some still choose to wear them. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
“There is so much investment in buildings and infrastructure in the CBD that it is very unlikely that the CBD itself will die,” he said.
“But as a meeting place for meetings, for coffee, for tertiary activities like museums and spaces, it will definitely recover,” he said.
More apartments the future of the CBD
As Chair of the WA Property Council, Sandra Brewer has wanted to sell CBD as a place to work, visit and live.
He acknowledged the challenges facing the city, such as increasing work from home and the popularity of suburban shopping malls.
As people decide whether to return to office full time, the city will adapt to their new work patterns. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Ms. Brewer is confident that the CBD will continue to be an important place, especially because it is where travelers get their first impressions of WA.
“It just means the city needs to look ahead, keep innovating and evolving, to make sure it can attract visitors, shoppers and office workers,” he said.
“This is our retail heart, and certainly this is our commercial heart and it’s also becoming a residential hub, and that’s what we continue to build,” he said.
Empty shops are a frequent sight on the CBD in Perth. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Dr. Robson said that while retail and hospitality in the CBD would still be affected by the after-effects of COVID for a while, the push for more apartments in the city would yield long-term dividends.
“Right now, you’re serving the workforce between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and closing at night and on weekends,” he said.
“However, if you have more CBD residents, you also have this business out of hours.
“But that takes time, you have to start developing these new land uses.”
It means the empty shop windows that pollute the CBD can remain for a while as the city adjusts to its new role in the lives of Western Australians.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume. Clock time: 4 minutes 24 seconds 4 m 24 s At the age of 105, May Harrison survived COVID, but experts warn Australians to be careful.
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