The NSW government has announced that construction workers at eight affected LGAs can return to unoccupied sites at 50% capacity, but only if they meet COVID-19 vaccination requirements .

Construction sites in Greater Sydney, including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour, will operate from Wednesday August 11 with enhanced COVID security measures.

Deputy Premier and NSW Regional Minister for Industry and Trade John Barilaro said unoccupied construction sites will resume work with new site capacity limits and introduce requirements minimum immunization requirements for workers in the eight affected local government areas.

The eight LGAs involved are Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta.

Construction workers at affected LGAs must provide proof that they have received one of the following:

• Two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
• A dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least three weeks before going to work
• One dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and, if less than three weeks after administration of that vaccine, a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours
• NSW is currently testing a rapid antigen test and, once approved by NSW Health, this form of test can be used as an alternative to a negative PCR test.

“We want workers to take back the tools, but we have to continue to keep this virus at bay, and so by opening unoccupied sites to 50% of their capacity and vaccinating workers in affected LGAs, we can achieve both,” Mr Barilaro said. .

“Affected LGA construction workers will be added to the list of authorized workers allowing them to work on unoccupied construction sites in Greater Sydney if they meet vaccination requirements.”

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the construction was vital to the state’s economy and employed hundreds of thousands of workers.

“Construction has helped keep our economy strong throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, but many of our projects and workers are located in the eight affected local government areas,” Perrottet said.

“To keep the industry viable, we need to restart these projects and get construction workers to where they are needed most. But we also need to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission to keep our communities safe, and these measures will help us achieve that balance. “

Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Minister Stuart Ayres said construction workers would be given priority for vaccination at a dedicated clinic to be housed at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday August 15, 2021.

“We hope to vaccinate around 8,000 workers at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday August 15, with vaccines also available from some general practitioners and pharmacies,” Ayres said.

“We are also working with industry to facilitate rapid testing of antigen testing at a number of public and private sector construction sites and which will soon provide additional COVID-19 surveillance capability when approved by NSW. Health for wider use. “

These changes will take effect at the start of Wednesday August 11, 2021.

In the meantime, construction workers in affected LGAs are urged to get vaccinated if they haven’t already.

Exemptions will be in place for people with health or other problems that make vaccination inappropriate.