As more individuals seek flexible working conditions post-Covid, one of Australia’s leading master-planned estates Woodlea has revealed its $45 million Town Centre could be home to a local coworking space - a progressive move that would pave the way for other land developers to follow suit.
Following a recent survey, of which close to 500 residents participated in, it was revealed that only 27 per cent of Woodlea residents plan to return to their workplace full-time post-Covid, with 62 per cent saying they will continue to work from home in some capacity, while 12 per cent would like to work from home but don’t have the set up to do so.
A staggering 61 per cent of respondents said they would work in a local coworking space or shared office space if one was available, with the largest gripe seeming to be the commute time to an office with 31 per cent reporting a commute time of 30 to 45 minutes.
Located in Melbourne’s western growth corridor, Woodlea is currently home to 7,000 residents and upon completion, will effectively be a ‘mini-city in the suburbs’ with approximately 20,000 residents.
Woodlea Project Director Matthew Dean said everything at Woodlea is designed to support better living, from the diversity of the homes to the use of the landscape to the spirit of the neighbourhoods and a dedicated coworking space would be another step towards Woodlea’s quest of becoming Australia’s healthiest community.
“Woodlea is unlike any other master-planned community due to its sheer size and offering and as it continues to flourish and more amenities are delivered, we are continually looking for ways to innovate to ensure it is responding to the needs of its residents and the surrounding communities.
“It is important we adapt to what a post-Covid world might look like, which is very much looking like remote work could be here to stay and as such, we are exploring our options with local coworking operators - people no longer want to commute everyday to the office and instead will keep working from home a few days a week.
“A local coworking space would allow residents a greater work-life balance; they can continue to work close to home with the help of private offices, meeting rooms and work stations and rather than spending unproductive time commuting every day, they can instead spend more time doing the things that really matter, like taking the kids to park or seeing family and friends.”
Spanning 711 hectares, Woodlea is fast becoming a major asset for the west, comprising prestigious schools, ‘destination style’ playgrounds, parks and sporting facilities and will be home to a large-scale Town Centre with a Coles upon completion.
The master-planned estate will see over 30 percent of the estate dedicated to open space - including native woodlands and wetlands and pocket parks - in addition to two childcare centres, two public schools and Bacchus Marsh Grammar Primary School, as well as an abundance of sport and recreation facilities including ten tennis and netball courts, two AFL football ovals and a sports pavilion.
