From Monday 19 July 2021 all construction sites in Greater Sydney must close until 30 July 2021.

The amended Public Health Orders released overnight provide some recognition of the need for existing building sites to be made safe and secure. While this is an important inclusion, implementing this shutdown will be extremely challenging for members. It is important to take time today to work through the steps your business needs to take to close a site from tomorrow for at least the next 2 weeks.

Construction industry bodies have, and will continue, to work with the Government to ensure a practical and sensible approach for home building and renovation work is recognised in these arrangements. We will keep members informed about any changes to these restrictions as they arise.

Can new home building work continue?

No.

From Monday 19 July, work is not to be carried out on a residential building site in Greater Sydney, unless the work is urgently required. Urgent work is defined in the Public Health Orders as:

• 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.

These restrictions means that workers must not enter or remain on a construction site in Greater Sydney, unless it is to carry out any of these urgently required activities.

Based on this definition we understand that the following activities would fall within the scope of urgent works during the shutdown period:

• making a building site safe and secure,
• ensuring any building materials are securely stored,
• ensuring any exposed building materials that will be damaged by weather are covered, protected or moved to a safe place,
• ensuring any building elements that need to be securely fastened are checked and made safe, and
• ensuring any potential hazards on site are checked and made safe.

For members seeking guidance on how they should manage closing a home building or renovation site can find out more in Site Shutdown checklist.

Are renovation works permitted?

No.

Works such as cleaning or carrying out repairs, maintenance, alterations, additions or other trades at the place of residence are not permitted in an existing residence unless those works are urgently required:

• to ensure the health, safety or security of the place of residence or to make a site safe to occupy, or
• because of an emergency, such as waste disposal work which can be carried out on common property of residential premises.

What other changes have been made?

Further COVID-19 restrictions were also announced yesterday and will apply in addition to those introduced on 26 June and 14 July to all residents and businesses operating in Greater Sydney, including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

From today, Sunday 18 July:

    • Non-essential retail must close, except for stores such as hardware, building, landscaping and garden centres which supply items associated with construction and maintence of buildings.
    • Anyone who leaves home must have a mask with them at all times and must be worn when you are working outdoors.
    • Carpooling is banned unless passengers are from the same household.
    • In addition to the Stay at Home Orders, already in place for specific LGAs in Sydney, residents of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool LGAs cannot leave their LGA for work except for authorised workers to undertake urgent essential services. Where you do need to leave your LGA for urgent work, you are still required to be tested every three days, even if you do not have symptoms.

From Wednesday 21 July, employers must require all employees to work from home unless it is not reasonably practical to do so.

Are there any changes for manufacturing businesses?

No. The existing business and travel restrictions continue to apply to any manufacturing businesses within Greater Sydney.

Are there changes for regional NSW?

No. The restrictions in regional NSW remain unchanged.