Southbank workers continue return

By David Schout

Peak-hour pedestrians on Southbank Promenade have topped their highest Monday number for almost a year in positive signs workers were returning to Southbank offices.

On Monday, February 1, 740 pedestrians were recorded passing along the promenade between 8am and 9am — the highest Monday morning figure since March 23 last year. 

The foot traffic data, which is counted via sensors at key city locations, tells a story of a gradual return to offices.

And it represents promising news for small businesses.

An exodus of workers from central Melbourne due to COVID-19 has devastated those small businesses that largely depend on their presence to survive. 

Despite the positive upward trend of foot traffic, however, numbers are still well below pre-pandemic levels.

For example, morning peak-hour pedestrians on Monday, March 16 last year — just prior to stay-at-home restrictions were enacted in Victoria — reached 2762 on Southbank Promenade.

This is more than four times the number counted earlier this month on February.

Three-quarter return on “pause”

The upward trend plateaued early this month when a planned return of 75 per cent of workers on February 8 was put on hold following Victoria’s first locally-acquired case of COVID-19 in almost a month.

Offices had been restricted to 50 per cent capacity in the private sector and 25 per cent in the public sector, and both were set to welcome back up to three-quarters of staff until the positive case.

In response, the government said it had “paused” the further easing of restrictions.

It is not known when the state government would proceed with the planned return, although COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said the expectation was of 14 days of no community transmission before restrictions — which also included masks and indoor gathering— were eased.

“We are very keen to see a full 14-day period normally between the first positive case we see and our response,” he said on February 7.

A further positive case on February 8 meant the earliest date would be late February.

Health Minister Martin Foley defended the move despite the Australian Open hosting 30,000 daily spectators throughout the tournament. “The advice from the public health team is pretty clear — events that are outdoors, events that are in highly-regulated environments, are able to be done safely,” he said.

“In regards to the wider return to work, I appreciate the frustrations that some might point to in that regard. I do point out that this is a pause, and I think employers, the workforce and wider Victorian community know that a pause is an infinitely better outcome than taking measures that might put staying safe and staying open at risk.”

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said a return to near-full offices was a vital step for the city.

“Bringing city workers back to the office will be critical for our economic revival,” she said.

“More people in the city means more money coming into local businesses, which keeps Melburnians in jobs. Our economic recovery has started but it needs coordinated and consistent support to ensure we bounce back as quickly as possible.” •