Construction industry update

An amendment to the Public Health Order made overnight introduced a number of changes that relate to the construction industry and are now in effect.

The Authorised Worker list has now been amended to allow workers who live or stay in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of concern to leave their area for work if they work on a construction site in Greater Sydney including at a construction site in a local government area of concern, as long as they comply with the new COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

These changes mean a number of our people can now get back to work and activity on our constructions sites in the LGAs of concern can resume. It’s important to understand the new rules and how they apply so please read the information below or on the NSW Government website.

COVID-19 vaccination requirements for people who live in the LGAs of concern

If you live in or are temporarily staying in a local government area of concern, from 12:01am on Wednesday 11 August 2021 you must not enter or remain at a construction site in Greater Sydney unless you have;

  • had 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or
  • had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before Wednesday 21 July 2021 or
  • had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine after Wednesday 21 July 2021 and you have been tested for COVID-19 in the past 72 hours (3 days) or
  • evidence of a medical exemption and you have been tested for COVID-19 in the past 72 hours.

If you are required to have a COVID-19 test to enter or remain at a construction site, you must have a COVID-19 test once every 72 hours. Construction workers can request a COVID-19 vaccination exemption for medical reasons.

Evidence of vaccination or exemption

You must;

  • carry evidence of your vaccination, COVID-19 test, or medical exemption and
  • produce that evidence to your employer, the occupier of a construction site, a police officer or an authorised officer, if requested and
  • carry proof of your address.

Evidence of your vaccination can include an;

Evidence of your COVID-19 test can include an SMS text message or email from the testing organisation. Evidence of your medical exemption must be from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Officer.

Local government areas of concern

From 11 August 2021, work is permitted at constructions sites in the local government areas of concern provided occupiers of these construction sites:

Capacity of workers at construction sites

From 11 August 2021, construction sites that are permitted to operate in Greater Sydney can have the lesser of:

  • 1 person per 4 square metres of space at the construction site; or
  • 50% of the maximum daily workforce.

The maximum daily workforce is the maximum number of workers on site on any day from the start to the end of the project. The maximum daily workforce must be derived from the current resourcing plan for the construction site.

Construction sites that are permitted to operate in regional and rural NSW (including affected areas of regional and rural NSW) can have the greater of either 1 person per 4m2 at the site or a maximum of 25 persons at the site at any one time.