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Highlights
- NSW decides to open construction sites to full capacity.
- However, the one worker-per four sq metre rule will continue to apply.
- The state reported 1,035 cases on Tuesday.
The construction industry in Australia’s economically most significant state – New South Wales (NSW) – will return to its full capacity as the state's vaccination coverage continues to grow.
The return to normal for the construction business in NSW comes at a time when its southern neighbour – Victoria – has decided to shut down construction sites.
From next week, NSW will ease all capacity limits on construction sites, even as it would retain the "four square metre" density rule.
“From Monday 27 September 2021, the worker capacity limit that applies to construction sites in Greater Sydney will cease to apply,” updated rules from the state’s health department said.
The industry, which is one of the key employers across the globe, has been working at half capacity, with vaccination requirements for workers from the 12 western and southwest Sydney local government areas of concern.
However, since Tuesday, construction has started in full capacity at the sites where workers are complying with the vaccination norms for the industry.
NSW recorded 1,035 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, and five more deaths, in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. The state, which has been the worst hit by the pandemic, accounts for an overwhelming 61% of the cases reported across the country since the onset of the pandemic. The state has recorded 54,730 of the 90,000-odd infections that the country has seen till now.
The move to open construction sites by NSW comes at a time when neighbouring Victoria has decided to close them all amid soaring infections in Australia’s south-eastern state.
The provincial government of Victoria earlier this week announced the shutdown of all construction sites in the city for two weeks blaming the frequent movement of workers for spreading the virus into regional areas.
The state health authorities have asked construction workers to get at least one dose of vaccine by the end of this week.
The decision to close construction sites led to massive protests in the state on Tuesday – a day when the state recorded yet another record number of daily infections – 628.
