ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the City of Melbourne is used for the majority of projections, as detailed statistics are kept for the service-related industries in that municipality, however, it is expected that similar benefits would also apply to service-related industries across other comparable cities. In a city, such as Melbourne, in the central City of Melbourne alone a 5 per cent increase in labour productivity would equate to an annual benefit of approximately A$2.1 billion to the local economy. Similar to much of the developed world, most Australian workers spend 70–90 per cent of their working lives indoors and as a result, building design, its use, and management influence occupant comfort, well-being and productivity. Targeted improvements to indoor environment quality (IEQ), be they lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort or contaminants, have significant benefits beyond just productivity, improving occupant satisfaction and even reducing absenteeism. The delivery of indoor climate and IEQ is directly under the control of the building owner or facility manager.
