Four Sydney councils bin Covid vaccine mandates, MP calls on remainder to get ‘back to business’

All but four Sydney councils still have Covid vaccine mandates, even after the end of public health orders and the WHO declaring the global health emergency over. See which councils.

Vaccine mandates remain common across Sydney councils, even after the end of mass PCR testing and the lifting of the Covid Public Health Orders. Picture: David Swift

All but four Sydney councils still have Covid vaccine mandates, even after the end of public health orders and the WHO declaring the global health emergency over, as one council revealed the almost half-a-million dollar cost of terminating staff when the mandate was introduced.

Out of 31 councils asked across Sydney only four have revoked Covid vaccination mandates on existing and new staff: Wollondilly, Ku-ring Gai, Hunters Hill and the Hills.

It comes after the World Health Organization, on May 5, declared Covid was no longer a “global health emergency”.

The data, exclusively compiled by The Daily Telegraph, shows the vast majority of Sydney councils still require staff to be vaccinated, unless they’re medically exempt.

Ku-ring Gai, Wollondilly and the Hills’ own requirements ceased when the public health orders were lifted last November, while Hunters Hill revoked their policy in March.

Hills Shire Council chambers.

Ku-ring-gai council.

Large inner city councils like City of Sydney, Inner West and Parramatta all have a two-jab policy in place, although are reviewed periodically.

In November, Dominic Perrottet’s government re-appealed the Covid public health orders while in May new Premier Chris Minns’ government closed all mass PCR testing sites across the state.

Blacktown City councillors made a push to revoke their council’s mandate, where the huge cost of terminating 30 staff when the mandate was introduced was revealed.

Wollondilly Shire Council.

Hunters Hill Town Hall.

Councillor Peter Camilleri’s unsuccessful motion at its most recent meeting argued it was “time to get rid of the mandate”.

“Many things have changed since it was introduced,” the councillor said inside the chamber.

“It’s time we started attracting and retaining staff, opening the doors to anyone who wants to work here,” he said.

Councillor Allan Green, who supported the motion, revealed about 30 staff were laid off at the introduction of the mandate – 19 casuals, three trainees and eight permanent – and how it cost council about $400,000 in termination fees overall.

He said the mandate had become a “barrier to employment and talent”.

Councillor Peter Camilleri

“We need more good staff to help all the work council wants to undertake,” he said in the chamber. “We must accept the reality the policy is well past its use by date.”

One Nation MP and newly appointed NSW Upper House assistant president Rod Roberts asked why mandates persisted after the lifting of the public health orders.

“What’s the need for them and where’s the science – life is back to normal,” he said. “They’re restrictive.”

He urged organisations with vaccine mandates to let NSW get “back to business”.

NSW One Nation announce Rod Roberts as Upper House candidate. Picture: NSW.OneNation

Member for St Clair, Tanya Davies. Abortion bill being passed in the NSW State Parliament lower house today in Sydney. Picture: Dylan Robinson

“We’re understaffed, places are crying out for workers, there’s good people willing to work,” Mr Roberts said. “Let’s get back to business and productivity.”

NSW Badgerys Creek MP Tanya Davies said lifting mandates was “long overdue”.

“We need to give good people the opportunity to work for their communities and provide for their families,” she said.

A Local Government Department spokesman said mandates were councils’ discretion.

“Councils, like all employers, are encouraged to follow the advice of agencies such as NSW Health and SafeWork NSW,” he said.

A Health Department spokesman said vaccination against Covid was no longer mandated.

“Requirements for Covid vaccination of workers have moved to a workplace health and safety risk assessment model,” he said.

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