Update on Stage 4 Lockdown Measures Across Melbourne and Regional Victoria

As Victoria declares state of disaster, a lot of things are definitely going to change for the time being. For six weeks, tighter restrictions will be imposed. So, what does this mean for industries – most especially for the building and construction industry? We have previously talked about the new restrictions as announced by the Premiere. Victorians are in shock and are devastated by the ongoing issues the state is currently going through. Even our industry will inevitably be affected by this. Master Builder’s Victoria CEO Rebecca Casson issued a statement regarding the decision of the State Government to scale back the industry. Albeit a difficult decision, it must be done for the safety of others. She adds, “Despite the great work everyone in our industry has done to keep it safe, we understand the broader issues at play and we will continue to work with the Government and DHHS to ensure this scaling back is as brief as possible, and the effects to the Victorian economy are also minimised by being ready to go at full capacity when allowed.” In the coming days, more answers to our questions regarding the impact this move will have on the industry. But the priority, for now, is to make sure that employers and employees can sail through this whole period with their business and jobs intact. About 300,000 people are recorded to be employed within the building and construction industry. The State Government recognizes the importance of it in the economy’s recovery, which is why there is a need to follow several practices to keep everyone safe. Starting Friday, August 7th at 11:59 in the evening, some changes on the construction projects will be implemented. It will be split into three categories with varying restrictions that would, unfortunately, reduce the output of the industry dramatically. LARGE SCALE Projects of more than 3 stories exc. Basement - Maximum 25% of normal employees onsite at any time - Must implement high-risk COVID Safe Plan SMALL SCALE Projects of 3 stories of less exc. Basement - Maximum 5 workers inc. supervisors - Must implement universal COVID Safe Plan STATE AND CIVIL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS - Exempt from staff reduction targets, but assessed on a project basis - Must implement high-risk COVID Safe Plan OTHER REQUIREMENTS Across all sites, blending shifts are not allowed. Workers may only work on one site. Contact tracing is required as part of the COVID Safe Plans. As we have said, we don’t have all the answers now but we will do our best to post updates once we find more information. Check out our website for more blogs.