SoylentNews

upstart [soylentnews.org] writes:

████ # This file was generated bot-o-matically! Edit at your own risk. ████

City of Melbourne pushes back on State’s plan to mandate work-from-home rights [cbdnews.com.au]:

City of Melbourne pushes back on State’s plan to mandate work-from-home rights | CBD NewsThe Voice of Postcode 3000 - Melbourne's CBD

Latest

Local News

Politics

Business

Planning

Environment

Arts & Culture

Columns

EconomyCity of Melbourne pushes back on State’s plan to mandate work-from-home rights Sean Car | 29th October, 2025

The City of Melbourne has formally come out against the Victorian Government’s plan to legislate a right for employees to work from home two days a week, warning that the move could hurt the city’s fragile post-pandemic recovery.

In a nine to two vote on October 21, councillors supported a motion moved by Cr Rafael Camillo and seconded by Cr Philip Le Liu urging Premier Jacinta Allan to abandon the proposal and preserve the current system of negotiated workplace flexibility. The motion was also backed by Lord Mayor Nick Reece.

“Melbourne comes alive through its people,” Cr Camillo said. “Our city thrives when people are here, connecting, collaborating, and supporting local business. Flexibility should be about choice – something that’s worked out between employers and employees, not imposed through a blanket rule.”

The motion notes that the government’s plan could “adversely impact Melbourne’s CBD through a future increase in office vacancy rates, a decline in city activation and negative impacts on small businesses who rely on foot traffic.”

It further argues that “flexibility in the workplace is best achieved through negotiation between employers and employees”, warning that a “one-size-fits-all mandate” would add bureaucracy and undercut the diversity of Victoria’s industries.

The resolution calls on the State to focus instead on “policies which seek to build confidence, attract investment and drive economic activity,” saying that mandated work-from-home rights would place Melbourne at a competitive disadvantage nationally and internationally.

Cr Camillo said the council’s vote reflected the concerns of businesses, landlords and the hospitality sector.

“I’ve been listening to the business community, who’ve told us their concerns,” he said. 

Empty offices mean fewer people in the city and tougher times for the businesses that keep Melbourne prosperous and vibrant. We should be focused on building confidence, attracting investment and keeping Melbourne competitive.

Cr Le Liu said the motion gave the city a clear position on an issue that goes to the heart of Melbourne’s recovery.

“This sends a very clear signal that this is the way we want to go,” he said. “We represent the closest people to the people and businesses, and many stakeholders have made it very clear that this is something they do not support. Investors have told us they’re alarmed by this proposal and have shifted their money to Sydney. When people stop coming to the city and when the city’s dead, it’s very hard to get it back.”

Several councillors echoed concerns that the proposal could discourage office investment and further hollow out weekday activity in the city centre, already burdened by high vacancy rates and slow return-to-office patterns.

Cr Owen Guest said legislating work-from-home rights would “hamstring business” at a time when government should be “making things easier, not harder.”

“Flexibility is the word,” he said. “It is popular, but that doesn’t mean we should legislate it. This is a relationship that should be forged between employers and employees.”

Cr Gladys Liu also supported the motion, saying governments should not “tell businesses or people what to do.”

“Our job is to make sure we have an active, vibrant city,” she said. “People can choose to work from home – that’s fine – but we don’t need government to tell them.”

Two councillors opposed the motion – Labor’s Davydd Griffiths and the Greens’ Dr Olivia Ball – arguing that legislating the right to work from home would protect employees from power imbalances and increase workforce participation.

“Flexible working arrangements have enabled millions of people, many of them women, to balance caring responsibilities with paid work,” Cr Dr Ball said. “It’s a win for the environment and the economy.”

The motion passed despite public opposition from former council candidate Aaron Moon, who told councillors before the vote that working from home is “a defining feature of the modern workplace” and that opposing it “trivialises” the city’s advocacy efforts.

The Allan Government remains firmly committed to its proposal. Earlier this month, it released results from a record-breaking 36,770-response survey showing that 74 per cent of employees rated the right to work from home as “extremely important,” and 83 per cent said they were more productive doing so. The Premier said the findings confirmed that “work from home works for families and it’s good for the economy.”

But at Town Hall, councillors framed their stance as a “line in the sand” moment for Melbourne’s future.

After years of talk about retrofitting towers and reviving the city economy – with little visible progress beyond the coming Metro Tunnel stations at Town Hall and State Library – the motion signalled a more assertive approach to advocacy on state policy.

“This is the capital city,” Cr Camillo said in closing. “We have a duty to show our constituents our view. Whether the Premier listens or not, we’re doing our job. We need to send a strong message to our residents, businesses and investors about our vision for Melbourne.” •

Buy our Journalists a coffee

Support our dedicated journalists with a donation to help us continue delivering high-quality, reliable news

Related Articles Melbourne Boutique Property sees CBD market turn a corner as confidence returns October 29th, 2025 - Sean CarAfter a stop–start first half of the year, boutique city specialist Melbourne Boutique Property (MBP) says Melbourne’s CBD apartment market is finishing 2025 on a firmer footing, with investor activity lifting and buyer sentiment improving ahead of the Metro Tunnel opening.Read MoreSafety gains from new tech adoption among Melbourne retailers October 28th, 2025 - CBD NewsMelbourne retailers, much like the rest of Victoria, face challenging times for their businesses. Despite an ongoing industry rebound, many shops are struggling to combat the recent rise in theft and safety threats throughout the CBD and beyond.Read MoreCBD continues post-pandemic bounce back April 28th, 2025 - Ricky SprouleCBD businesses continue to bounce back from pandemic era difficulties as retail vacancies decrease to 6.1 per cent according to the latest Walk the CBD report released by Fitzroys.Read MoreSafety & SecurityHead of safety and cleaning portfolio defends council’s approach to community safety October 29th, 2025 - Jon FleetwoodCouncillor ProfilePhilip Le Liu: A steady hand at Town Hall October 29th, 2025 - Jon FleetwoodSubscribetoallthenewsLeave this field blankEmailSign upLike us on FacebookDownload the Latest EditionGet your local news direct to your inbox.Leave this field blankEmailSign upInformation

• About Us
• Schedule
• Advertise
• Contact Us

Helpful Links

• Archive
• Terms & conditions
• Privacy policy

CONTACT US

• [email protected] [cbdnews.com.au]
• 03 8689 7980
• 208/198 Harbour Esplanade,Docklands VIC 3008

Inner City News

Docklands News

Southbank News

North West City News

© 2025 CBD News. All Rights Reserved.

• Inner City News
• Docklands News
• Southbank News
• North West City News

Fair Work has ruled a Sydney woman can work for Westpac from home. Can you WFH too? [theguardian.com]:

A longtime Westpac employee won her Fair Work Commission case to work from home. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/ReutersView image in fullscreenA longtime Westpac employee won her Fair Work Commission case to work from home. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/ReutersExplainer [theguardian.com]Fair Work has ruled a Sydney woman can work for Westpac from home. Can you WFH too?

Regulator’s decision paves way for workers with caring responsibilities to work from home while separate test case will determine if WFH rights can be applied more broadly

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates [theguardian.com]

• Get our breaking news email [theguardian.com], free app [adjust.com] or daily news podcast [theguardian.com]

In post-pandemic Australia, return-to-office mandates are a leading point of tension between employers and their workers.

While a return mandate is generally valid, some workers are successfully challenging their bosses, clearing a path for more employees to secure work-from-home arrangements.

There is also a broader push by unions to lock in an employee’s right to flexible work.

Explore more on these topics

• Industrial relations [theguardian.com]
• Westpac [theguardian.com]
• Sydney [theguardian.com]
• explainers [theguardian.com]

Share [mailto]Reuse this content [theguardian.com]

Original Submission