Flexible co-working offices have become a growing trend as more people are working remotely or from home following the pandemic.
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However, Leeton's Business Enterprise Centre has been providing the service to small businesses, and offering a flexible work space instead of traditional commercial leases for a number of years.
"Our space provides working professionals a fully functioning office environment with the flexibility to come and go when needed," BEC business advisor and Leeton Business Chamber president Krystal Roden said.
"The really great thing about our co-working space is that workers can come and go at an affordable price without the risk of a commercial lease, its a win for employees and employers."
In Wagga, Working Spaces HQ opened seven years ago to provide co-working space for technology and small business start-ups.
Working Spaces HQ is owned by Dianna Somerville who is also Regional Development Australia - Riverina chairwoman.
Mrs Somerville said COVID has expedited the need for co-working spaces in regional cities significantly, and provided an opportunity for digital workers to use an office and its facilities when needed.
"These co-working spaces are a great way to create connectivity, reduce isolation and even help new business owners using these spaces to learn from others in the co working space," Mrs Somerville said.
"They also allow visitors to the town to utilise an office setting if they just want somewhere quiet to get some work done."
Co-working spaces often start as a private business to take advantage of available real estate, but Mrs Somerville said councils could bring play a role in bring the service to their communities.
"There is definitely a role for council to play in this space if they own excess commercial office space that they want to give back to the community," she said.
Leeton Shire Council's communications co-ordinator Monica Armanini said council had no plans for co-working spaces currently but did offer some space which could be used by people working remotely.
"The library has a range of free to use space for small groups of people to utilise such as the local studies room, the Joan Patrick room and study desks for individual workers," Mrs Armanini said.
"We also have the Henry Lawson Room which can be booked for a small fee as well as the Leeton Visitors Centre that can be hired for presentations, the museum and gallery which has a boardroom and gallery space available for hire and the Council Chambers".
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Gino Amato, Director of Amato Real Estate that there had been an slow but steady increase in interest for commercial property in town.
And whilst the demand for commercial property has risen, office space demand is increasing at a slower rate.
"Office space demand has been a little more than usual, but nothing that is breaking records or anything, just a slow rise," Mr Amato continued.
Mrs Sommerville notes however that just because remote workers aren't visibly seeking these commercial office spaces, it didn't mean the demand did not exist and that there are more remote workers than many realize.
"Often out in regional cities and country towns you have many individuals who work in the digital space and don't require an office to the same extent as other businesses do," she said.
"This does not mean that they wouldn't like to access an office facility though, even if it is just for one or two days a week.
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