<
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/congestion-levy-and-hybrid-work-underpin-productivity-chief-s-cbd-vision-20250508-p5lxiv.html>
"A road congestion levy should be introduced for visiting the CBD and
businesses should support hybrid work or else face paying higher wages,
according to the nation’s productivity chief, as Melburnians’ relationship with
their city transforms.
Productivity Commission chair Danielle Wood says reinventing the CBD from a
place to house office workers on weekdays to a week-long destination for
recreation and culture has become an imperative since the pandemic and will
continue to be through to mid-century.
Wood is a keynote speaker for Friday’s M2050 summit, run by the City of
Melbourne, at which business and community leaders will discuss priorities and
aspirations for the CBD over the next 25 years.
Among those to share their vision will be Premier Jacinta Allan, Opposition
Leader Brad Battin, Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner and Lord Mayor Nick
Reece.
Prominent Melburnians will also be among about 700 people participating in
working groups through the day to concoct ideas, including restaurateur Chris
Lucas, Queen Victoria Market chief executive Matt Elliott and State Library of
Victoria boss Paul Duldig.
The Age spoke with Wood and fellow headline speaker National Gallery of
Victoria director Tony Ellwood before the event to hear their ideas for the
city’s future.
Wood says working-from-home is here to stay because well-managed hybrid work
doesn’t dent productivity, so long as employees still converge in the office
some days of the week.
She says a business that mandates working from the office full-time must be
willing to compensate their employees better, by about 6 to 8 per cent.
“Hybrid [work] is going to be the sweet spot for a lot of organisations,” Wood
says. “You get the same, if not slightly better productivity with hybrid work,
while also bringing the benefits to your workers of flexibility, the time
savings of the commute and a greater capacity to combine work and family.”"
Via
Guardian Australia
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
