The new 'normal' could be truly different

Not unexpectedly, much of it has been focused on the financial cost. After all, shutting down great swathes of the service economy threw millions of people out of work and left many thousands of businesses struggling to stay afloat as customers were prohibited by social distancing from shopping, dining or doing what they would usually consider to be an everyday activity.

But while we might be increasingly able now to go back to the "old normal" of sitting down for a coffee or beer with a mate, enjoying a meal out or having a beauty treatment, it will be interesting to see what doesn't go back to normal.

One of the biggest changes could be to how big business is conducted.

For decades, particularly in our capital cities, people have accepted a lot of "normals", from long commutes to hot-desking and shared kitchens in big open-plan offices where thousands of workers are crammed together. But there could be plenty of changes ahead.

Since February and March, when efforts to stop COVID-19's spread really kicked in, thousands of people have realised they can successfully work from home.

While not everyone has enjoyed the change, others have seen advantages. In Sydney, for example, many people are no longer spending hours every day in their cars or on public transport and have found substantial savings not only in time, but also in travelling costs.

Data released by Apple shows massive drops both in Australians' requests for map directions and for information on public transport during the lockdown period.

Many families have also found extra time to spend together and home cooking is enjoying a renaissance.

While not everyone has embraced the time spent in social isolation, it's going to be hard for employers, particularly those paying thousands of dollars in rent for high-profile metropolitan offices, to ignore the possibility of more permanent changes.

In a nutshell, why would you want to keep paying huge sums for a flagship CBD base when smaller suburbans operations, or even staff working primarily from home, have been proven as a viable option?

It will also be interesting to see how our suburbs are reshaped if more people embrace the idea of working from home.

Will inner city residential suburbs remain as sought-after if people are no longer looking to stay close to their offices because those workplaces are being downsized and reshaped?

Since the pandemic hit, the federal government has made massive changes to try to restrict the impact.

With our border effectively closed, it is not just international tourism that has been slashed, but also immigration.

The ABC has reported that many temporary visa holders have gone back home after losing their jobs and there is expected to be a dramatic fall in migration over the next few years, with the government projecting an 85 per cent fall in 2020-21.

Among the many impacts of that with be an effect on real estate, both residential and commercial.

But one of the big winners, it seems, could be regional Australia, as people realise that working from home does not have to restrict them to just their previous suburban base, opening up many more options.

It will be interesting to see, in the weeks and months ahead, just how our "normal" has changed.

For every person who has grudgingly endured the lockdown and couldn't wait for the chance to resume their former routine, there will be someone who has found a new sense of freedom in a life that doesn't involve a lengthy commute to a busy CBD office.

We're told often enough that a nation like Australia can lead the world when it comes to technology and information.

Now is actually the time for those Australians who want to ditch their wage-slave mentality and embrace greater freedoms to speak up.