The Premier announced the new rules today which will affect tradies and the construction sector as a whole. From 12.01am on Monday 19th July 2021, all construction will be closed except for emergency work. Tradies are encouraged to use the weekend to secure their worksites in preparation. A hard lockdown has been announced for people located in certain LGA’s with the highest case numbers. These new rules will apply until 11.59pm Friday, July 30.
“We want to make sure you have the weekend and Monday morning to secure your site, to make sure that everything is safe while the pauses on until July 30.
“We won’t come down on you until you make sure that those sites are secure.”
New Greater Sydney Restrictions are:
From 11.59pm on Saturday, 17 July:
Fairfield, Liverpool, or Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas
- If you live in the Fairfield, Liverpool, or Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas you cannot leave the local government area that you live in to go to work unless you are an authorised worker.
If you live in Fairfield, Liverpool, or Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas, and you cannot work from home and your workplace is still open, you can go to work if it is within the local government area in which you live.
Find out more about the rules for Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury Bankstown.
- Only critical retail will be allowed to remain open. Non-critical retail will only be able to provide click and collect or takeaway service only.
Travelling by car
- You may only travel in a car with other people that you live with, unless it is for
- an emergency
- a compassionate reason
- to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
- the car is being used as a taxi or rideshare.
If you use a vehicle for work, you are allowed to share the car with a person you do not live with (carpool) if it is required for your work (for example, if you are a police officer working in a team of 2 people).
From 12.01am on Monday 19th July 2021
Critical repairs, maintenance and cleaning
- To reduce the risks associated with mobile workers, restrictions apply to services provided to residential premises in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.
From Sunday 18 July 2021, services cannot be provided to residential premises for
- repairs
- maintenance
- cleaning.
Repairs, maintenance or cleaning services are allowed only if urgently required for
- the health, safety or security of the premises or members of the household or
- because of an emergency.
Any repairs, maintenance or cleaning that can be delayed should be rearranged.
You must not allow a worker to enter your home to provide these services.
From Sunday 18 July 2021, it is not a reasonable excuse to leave your home in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour to provide these services.
Pause on construction activity
From Monday 12:01am on 19 July 2021, work at construction sites in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour, is not to be carried out unless the work is urgently required
- to ensure the safety or security of the construction site
- to deal with environmental risks
- to maintain critical plant or equipment that would otherwise deteriorate
- to receive deliveries of supplies that would otherwise deteriorate
- to maintain public utilities
- to ensure the safe operation of existing transport infrastructure
- by or on behalf of NSW Health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- because of an emergency.
Residential renovations, alterations and additions
All renovations or other works at a place of residence to make alterations or additions are not allowed unless they are necessary for the safety or security of the site.
This means that the site of any existing renovations can be made safe and secure, but then all work must stop.
Face masks
In Greater Sydney you must wear a face mask
- in all indoor areas of non-residential premises
- at certain outdoor gatherings
- if you are on public transport
- in a major recreation facility such as a stadium
- if you are working in a hospitality venue
- in indoor areas of construction sites, except when an exemption applies such as when
- wearing a face mask creates a safety issue or
- there is a worksite emergency.
Face masks must be worn at
- Flemington Markets
- Sydney Fish Markets.
From 12.01am on Wednesday 21st
- July employers must allow employees to work from home if the employee is able to do so, failure to do so can result in a fine of up to $10,000.
If your premises is permitted to stay open under the public health order, you must follow the rules in place including
- the square metres rules
- face masks rules
- mandatory check-in (for example, using QR codes)
Regional areas of NSW will see no change in restrictions. All other restrictions currently in place across Greater Sydney including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour will remain in place.
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A full outline of the current Greater Sydney restrictions can be found here
A list of who is classed as Authorised workers can be found here
For questions regarding the new restrictions contact Service NSW Business concierge service here or call Service NSW hotline 13 77 88
COVID-19 testing rules for Greater Sydney workers here
Access information on COVID-19 financial support for NSW businesses here
NSW Government Press Release on new restrictions can be found here
