Although Sydney and Perth are separated by over 3,000 kilometres and have undertaken vastly different pandemic policy setting, there are behavioural changes which have become common to both cities. An analysis of commuting patterns, as well as commercial and residential property markers, illustrates the flow-on effects of increased working from home; a practice which has become more prevalent following the pandemic.
Following Australia’s 18-month fight against the COVID 19 pandemic, and people now drifting back to work in varying degrees, changes to commuting patterns have emerged which could have long term consequences for Australia’s CBDs.
A review of office occupancy and commuting (car traffic numbers, public transport use, walking, cycling and taxi) data highlights, at its likely peak, that there were approximately 228,000 thousand fewer office workers making the daily commute into Australia’s six largest CBD office markets. This equates to around 20% of the office population not going into the CBD each day.
The Data App (TDA) estimate activity posted its second consecutive monthly decline in May. Following on from a 2.1% decline in April, TDA’s monthly activity indicator (MAI) fell a, more modest, 0.3% in May. So, for the first time, the annual growth in the MAI moved into negative territory.
