I returned to the office last week for the first time in what feels like forever.
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It wasn't just the return from a relaxing Christmas and New Year break, but also the return of the team to the office following a year of bushfire and COVID-induced working from home.
No doubt it won't take long before it feels just like home again and office routines reassert themselves in a role that is typically far from routine - particularly in the past 12 months.
Perhaps it's the same for a lot of you. But just as likely is that the shift to working from home has become more permanent.
It was great being closer to the fridge and coffee machine! But then again those were also added distractions to getting the job done every day - along with Netflix, a new puppy and the lure of the backyard.
The challenges go a lot further though.
It's being reported that the ability to - and indeed the appetite for - working from home is among the causes of a real estate boom on the South Coast.
While Sydney saw property prices dip during the pandemic lockdowns, Far South Coast property prices have never been higher and show no indication of slowing anytime soon (unfortunately for prospective first home buyers such as yours truly).
No sooner has a property been listed then they are snapped up, on many occasions within just days. Whether locals looking to replace their homes lost in the bushfires, or city-dwellers keen to escape the concrete jungle and bring their work with them, supply can't keep up with the demand.
There is also a significant shortage of available rental accommodation on the South Coast, likely due to similar reasons.
A quick search of realestateview.com.au for rental properties across our shire's main centres and surrounding villages gave only 12 results, of which seven appear to be holiday rentals. The larger realestate.com.au site shows only a handful more.
I don't raise the issues because I have answers. I wish I did.
We are keen to open the discussion and hear from our readers as to your concerns, your experiences and most importantly your suggestions on how we can move forward. How we can continue to be such a sought-after region for work and play - no surprises there - but also a region more affordable to those of us who choose to make our lives here.
Email me at ben.smyth@austcommunitymedia.com.au