Today, the premier of NSW announced an extension of the Greater Sydney stay-at-home restrictions for at least a further 4 weeks until 12.01 am on Saturday 28th August 2021. Construction however will be allowed to reopen under new contactless tradie guidelines except for those located in certain LGAs of concern. Full details of the new restrictions and essential details are outlined below.
From midnight tonight – 28 July 2021:
- Preparatory works may commence on jobsites from Thursday 29th July to enable sites to reopen safely, with limited workforces on-site to ensure COVID safe measures are in place, that equipment and plant can be restarted safely and that all utilities are in order. Deliveries can also be received.
- Parramatta, Campbelltown and Georges River LGAs will join Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Blacktown and Cumberland LGAs listed as “LGAs of concern” which are subject to an Authorised Workers Order. Only authorised workers in these eight LGAs may leave their LGA for work. You can go to work if it is within the local government area in which you live. Face masks are mandatory for all residents, at all times, except inside your home.
- If you live in or are staying in the Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas but you work outside this area, you must have a COVID-19 test once every 72 hours (3 days) in order to be allowed to go to work as an authorised worker.
- Greater Sydney residents including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour must limit their shopping to within their Local Government Area (LGA) or, if outside their LGA, within 10km from home, unless the item is not available locally. When you leave home, you must carry a face mask with you at all times.
From 12.01am, Saturday, 31 July 2021:
- Construction in non-occupied settings outside of the LGAs of concern (with no residents on-site) will re-open as planned, subject to a one person per 4sqm rule. These low-risk construction sites must have COVID safe plans in place, compliance will be strictly enforced.
- Construction cannot resume in the eight LGAs of concern, nor will construction workers be allowed to leave these areas.
- Trades people, including cleaners who are able to work with zero contact with residents, will also be allowed to resume (no more than two people inside and five outside). If contactless arrangements are not possible, work cannot go ahead. This work will not be allowed in the eight LGAs of concern, nor will workers be allowed to leave these areas.
- Businesses in LGAs of concern that are part of the construction supply chain will be permitted to operate. Construction supply chain workers will be added to the authorised workers list and will be allowed to leave their local area for work, subject to meeting COVID-19 surveillance testing requirements. This includes workers engaged in manufacturing of construction materials, plant and components.
- From Saturday onwards, worksites will be able to operate on Sundays and public holidays for the remainder of the year, in a bid to make up for time lost during the lockdown period.
Changes to surveillance testing (enforceable from Saturday, 31 July 2021):
- All authorised workers from Canterbury-Bankstown LGA must get tested once every three days in order to leave their LGA for work.
- People who live in the Fairfield and Cumberland LGAs but work outside these areas as health or aged care workers (including support services for health or aged care, such as cleaners, cooks and security providers) must be tested once every three days in order to be allowed to go to work outside their LGA.
- These surveillance testing requirements will be enforceable from Saturday, 31 July. However, relevant workers will have from today to get their first test.
JobSaver Program boosted:
- JobSaver payments will now be available to businesses with an annual turnover of between $75,000 and $250 million, up from $50 million, which have experienced a revenue decline of 30 percent or more.
- The maximum weekly payment has also been substantially increased, with employing businesses that maintain their employee headcount now able receive between $1500 and $100,000 per week, up from $10,000, with payments based on 40 percent of their weekly NSW payroll.
To find out more information about the restrictions, testing clinics, and financial assistance that apply in your state, please head to the TradiePad COVID-19 Tradie Survival Pack for direct links to all the relevant websites and documents.
