Melbourne Tenants Keen to be Seen in Green

Melbourne tenants are happy to occupy green buildings – as long as they can flaunt the fact that they do, according to Colliers survey on workplace occupancy trends.

Melbourne tenants also tolerate the often challenging “open-plan” workplace environment moreso than tenants in other cities, believing the “sustainable” message it sends to employees is important in attracting new, and retaining existing staff.

The research project, released last week, surveyed 270 large office tenants who occupy offices of more than 500 square metres, in each of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth. The survey found Melbourne tenants are significantly more likely than tenants in all other cities to mention “operational cost savings and improved attractiveness to general public and to investors” as drivers behind leasing a green-rated building.

Melbourne CBD office buildings are now substantially cheaper to rent than other major capitals including Brisbane and Perth, where vacancy levels are a respective low 1.3 and 0.3 per cent, according to the Property Council of Australia’s latest Office Market Report.