According to Deloitte’s latest quarterly investment monitor, the pace of business investment recovery will depend on the level of certainty provided by governments. Deloitte partner and report lead author Stephen Smith said the threat of snap lockdowns present a challenging backdrop for new investment. “As businesses continue to acclimatise to the new COVID-19 normal, their attention is turning from external risks to internal ones,” Smith said. “This includes securing and retaining key talent, executing strategies, and implementing new technologies.” Smith said COVID-19 has dramatically changed where, when, and how people work. “This is likely to shape the types of investments required over the coming decades,” he said. “The proportion of people working from home is expected to remain permanently above pre-COVID-19 levels, with flow-on effects for investment in transport networks and our CBDs.” Deloitte also expects business investment to accelerate in 2022-23 after some growth during the current financial year, …