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Following a significant pushback from the industry, all of the eight local government areas in Greater Sydney will now be reopened for construction, the New South Wales government has announced.
Starting Wednesday, 11 August, the NSW government will allow unoccupied construction sites across the eight lockdown-affected LGAs in Greater Sydney to operate at 50 per cent capacity, with enhanced COVID-safe measures, including minimum vaccination requirements.
This revised framework will apply to Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta.
Previously, only four of the LGAs had been included in the recommencement of construction work, which began last 31 July.
“We want workers back on the tools, but we need to continue to keep this virus at bay, and so by opening unoccupied worksites at 50 per cent capacity and vaccinating workers from within those affected LGAs, we can achieve both,” deputy Premier John Barilaro said.
“Construction workers from the affected LGAs will be added to the list of authorised workers, allowing them to work on unoccupied construction sites in Greater Sydney if they meet the vaccination conditions.”
Reopened worksites will be able to operate on Sundays and public holidays for the remainder of the year, up until Christmas.
All construction workers who wish to go back to work must be able to provide evidence that they have received any of the following:
- Two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
- One dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least three weeks before attending work
- One dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and, if less than three weeks since that vaccine was administered, a negative COVID-19 test in the previous 72 hours
Exemptions will be in place only for individuals with medical or other conditions that make vaccination unsuitable.
To support the reopening of construction across Greater Sydney, a dedicated clinic at the Sydney Olympic Park will host Super Sunday on August 15, where construction workers will be prioritised for vaccination.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said they hope to see 8,000 workers vaccinated on Super Sunday.
“We are also working with industry to facilitate rapid antigen testing trials on a number of public and private sector construction sites and that will soon provide added COVID-19 surveillance capability when approved by NSW Health for wider use,” Mr Ayres added.
Expressing optimism about the revival of the industry, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said: “Construction has helped maintain our strong economy throughout the COVID-19 outbreak… and for the industry to remain viable, we need to restart those projects and get construction workers where they are most needed.”
The announcement of the government’s plan to restart construction projects came after the two-week construction clampdown received significant pushback from the industry, which cited a possible loss of up to $2.5 billion for the quarter alone.
By reopening construction, NSW executive director of the Property Council of Australia (PCA) Lauren Conceicao said the government isn’t only supporting the local economy and the industry, but also boosting the wellbeing and financial security of workers and their families.
“This gives us a clear platform for how industries safely reopen with a vaccine-led solution,” according to the executive director.
“Vaccination is the ticket to safety for us all, and through this plan, it’s also a ticket to work.”
Looking ahead, Ms Conceicao encouraged all workers to get vaccinated as soon as possible, highlighting the construction industry’s crucial part in progressing the plan safely.
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