Hybrid Workers
THE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
WOLLONGONG NAMED TOP COMMUTER TOWN FOR HYBRID WORKERS IN 2026
• Wollongong (NSW), Geelong (VIC) and Mandurah (WA) are the best places for hybrid workers to live according to the IWG Commuter Town Index • Lengthy, inconvenient commutes are falling out of favour, with only 4% of workers globally willing to commute for more than an hour to work daily • Younger workers are leading this shift, with 75% of Millennials and 72% of Gen Z willing to live further from city centres if coworking spaces or good transport links are available • Hybrid working is delivering tangible lifestyle benefits, with 51% of workers reporting improved health and wellbeing since adopting flexible working International Workplace Group (IWG), the world's largest platform for work with brands including Spaces and Regus, has named Wollongong as Australia’s best commuter town for hybrid workers to live in 2026, as part of its inaugural Commuter Town Index - ranking the coastal hub ahead of popular towns such as the Geelong, Mandurah, Gold Coast and Port Adelaide. The index measures how well towns support modern hybrid workers, based on factors including transport links, local amenities and access to flexible workspaces. With hybrid working an increasingly permanent feature of modern employment, where people choose to live is increasingly shaped by the ability to work closer to home without compromising on professionalism or connectivity. Long commutes are increasingly being rejected in favour of flexible working models that support wellbeing, productivity and work life balance. Against this backdrop, IWG’s new Commuter Town Index examines how towns across Australia are responding to this shift, identifying locations that best combine strong transport connections, local amenities and professional workspace options with a high quality of life. Australia’s Top 5 Commuter Towns* 1. Wollongong, New South Wales 2. Geelong, Victoria 3. Mandurah, Western Australia 4. Gold Coast, Queensland 5. Port Adelaide, South Australia According to the Australian Local Workspaces & Hybrid Trends 2025 Survey, commissioned by IWG, 93% of hybrid workers say access to a local workspace is a top priority when job hunting. 88% find the idea of a professional workspace within walking distance from their home appealing, and 31% admit they would sacrifice a higher salary for this flexibility, underscoring how proximity is now a critical factor in talent decisions Wollongong Takes the Top Spot Wollongong scored so highly due to its exceptional transport connectivity, lifestyle amenities, housing affordability and access to flexible workspaces. The town is also a rare example of a regional centre that offers direct rail access to Sydney, a walkable CBD, strong digital infrastructure and a thriving local economy – making it particularly well-suited to hybrid workers seeking balance without sacrificing career opportunities. Geelong Is a Strong Runner Up Thanks to its reliable transport links, strong housing affordability and well-established town centre, Geelong has cemented its place as runner- up on the index. With regular rail connections providing direct access to Melbourne’s CBD, alongside a revitalised waterfront, walkable CBD and a growing professional services base, Geelong enables residents to balance local living with regular access to city-based work – a profile well suited to hybrid working. Rising Demand for Local Workspaces Recognising the surge in interest for top-quality flexible workspaces closer to where people want to live, IWG signed several partnerships for new centres over the past year. This includes Spaces Box Hill, Signature 85 Spring Street and HQ York St in Melbourne; Spaces Fremantle, Spaces Nedlands and Regus Subiaco in Western Australia; and Regus Lane Cove and Regus Hurstville in Sydney. International Workplace Group’s rapid expansion has led to around 1,000 locations added in the last year and achieving highest ever revenue - with more new locations signed and
Commuter Town Index Graph:
Prepared by International Workplace Group
opened in 2025 than in the first 15 years of its operations. IWG’s network now comprises more than one million rooms in 121 countries. Workers Prioritising Lifestyle, Affordability and Wellbeing IWG’s research highlights a dramatic decline in willingness to commute long distances. Only 4% of people globally are willing to commute for more than an hour to their workplace daily, while 88% say the ability to work close to home in a professional space is important when choosing where to live. • In Australia, only 37% of hybrid workers agree they would work for an employer requiring a long daily commute, signalling the decline of outdated office models. The impact of commuting are significant, with workers citing negative effects on: *Each town in the 2025 index is ranked against key criteria including transport connectivity to major CBDs, commute time, housing affordability, access to local amenities (such as cafés, retail, gyms and healthcare), lifestyle and liveability factors, digital infrastructure and the availability or proximity of professional flexible workspaces. Each town’s overall score represents its appeal to commuters and its suitability for hybrid working, capturing how effectively residents can balance work, commuting and lifestyle.
• Mental health (81%) • Productivity (83%) • Financial well-being (81%) • Relationships with family and friends (77%) 1 Hybrid Working Cost Savings
Younger workers are leading this shift, with 75% of Millennials and 72% of Gen Z willing to live further from city centres if flexible workspaces or good transport links are available. This trend reflects the growing prioritisation of a work-life balance and affordability, with proximity to flexible workspaces often outweighing the traditional appeal of central locations. As a result, both developers and workspace operators are increasingly focusing on suburban hubs and well-connected commuter towns to attract this mobile and digitally enabled workforce. Local workspaces also deliver tangible financial and wellbeing benefits: • 81% agree working in a local workspace has helped them save money, with average savings of $236 per month • 80% say working closer to home strengthens their relationships with family and friends. • 81% experience better work life balance • 77% report reduced stress 1 Hybrid working is also having a measurable impact on wellbeing. Globally, more than half (51%) of workers say their health and wellbeing has improved since working in a hybrid way, and 43% being able to spend more time with their friends and family. Reflecting these priorities, nine in 10 (90%) people around the world say they would consider moving to a different town or city in order to improve their quality of life. Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of IWG, said: “Technology and the embrace of AI is rapidly reshaping how we work and where we live, turning commuter towns, or so-called dormitory towns, into vibrant hubs for working and living. The idea that every morning, office workers wake early, jump into polluting cars or overcrowded trains, and travel many miles to their place of work will very soon be a crazy thing people only did in the past,” says Dixon. “Hybrid working improves our lives. And it makes us significantly better off, too.”
March / April 2026 – 21
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