NSW Government permanently adopts Covid measures to cut red tape

The government is permanently adopting measures introduced to slash red tape during the pandemic. Here are the initiatives that are sticking around.

Buying takeaway wine or cocktails with a meal from your favourite restaurant is here to stay, with the NSW Government permanently adopting a number of initiatives that were introduced to slash red tape during the pandemic.

Other measures, including allowing more digital meetings and freeing up long service leave arrangements, will deliver a $3.1bn boost to the NSW economy over the decade.

Takeaway food rules were eased up, where safe, during Covid. Picture: Brendan Radke

Changes that will be made permanent include a number of reforms implemented at breakneck speed during the first Covid lockdown to allow society to remain functioning with people stuck at home.

They included allowing food trucks to operate on any land at any time, subject to certain requirements, and allowing businesses to operate “dark kitchens” — where commercial kitchens operate for takeaway and delivery only.

Lower-risk licensed venues such as restaurants and cafes were also allowed to sell takeaway and home-delivery alcohol with a bought meal.

Hospitality groups had previously called for provisions allowing restaurants to sell takeaway alcohol to be made permanent.

Restaurants and cafes have been allowed to sell takeaway and home-delivery alcohol with a bought meal. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The temporary changes allowed certain associations more flexibility to meet electronically. Planning panels and the Independent Planning Commission were allowed to hold virtual meetings and hearings and the display of planning documents went digital.

Workers with access to long service leave also benefited from extra flexibility after changes were made allowing the leave to be taken in shorter blocks, or one day per week.

“These measures have been providing the extra support many businesses needed during Covid-19,” Treasurer Matt Kean said.

“By keeping these changes, we are allowing more paper processes to be handled digitally, more meetings to occur remotely, greater flexibility for home business operations and keeping people in jobs.

“The net economic benefit over 10 years, as a result of these regulation reforms, is $3.1bn in flexibility and time savings, with increased long service leave flexibility for workers delivering $1.9bn of that.”

The Productivity Commission White Paper last year recommended that the temporary measures should be evaluated with a view to being made permanent.

“It’s now been proven many of the changes have positive impacts. This is how good regulatory reform works – having an experimental and flexible approach to regulation can bring positive change for the community,” Productivity Commissioner Peter Achterstraat said.

Planning Minister Rob Stokes, who was instrumental to cutting certain red tape during the first lockdown, said the planning system had been able to assist productivity and growth.

“The disruption of the pandemic allowed us to experiment with how the planning system can work better to drive productivity. We’re now securing those benefits in perpetuity,” he said.

“We know the pandemic has spurred new ways of living, working and playing, and the planning system must support those shifts and allow our communities to live better lives.”