Covid-19: Calls for Sydney constructions workers to be banned from working in Hunter
There’s calls for Sydney construction workers to be banned from travelling to Hunter to work, with local operators at risk of virus transmission and a downturn in work.
Newcastle
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Constructions workers and sites across the Hunter are being put at risk, with the closure of the industry in Sydney due to COVID-19 causing a flow-on effect across the region.
A Newcastle refuelling service has reported since the construction industry was forced to shut down, Sydney clients are redeploying their workers and assets to the Hunter.
Melissa Riley from West Tankers in Cameron Park — an onsite diesel refuelling company which services around 50 to 100 constructions sites a day across the Hunter and Central Coast — said work is drying up for their operators and putting staff at higher risk of contracting the virus.
“It’s a downturn in work for my employers here because the Sydney workers are coming up bringing their workers and assets,” Ms Riley said.
“It’s got that potential for the virus to spread especially with my operators in the trucks. If one person in the business was to get it, my whole business closes down.”
There’s also contamination risk for machinery used, with no protocol for deep cleaning of machines.
“Swapping machines and bringing people from hot spots, it’s scary,” she said.
“One of the job sites my Sydney client is coming to is in my backyard, I stop at the servo every morning, stop at Maccas every morning, what if that operator of that fuel truck has stopped at same service station, same Maccas, it’s that flow on effect.”
Ms Riley said the Hunter is the “forgotten” region, with local business also suffering from the Covid-19 emergency.
She’s calling on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to backflip on the shutdown of the construction industry in Sydney or ban those workers from coming to Newcastle to work.
“It’s a difficult situation to be in but we need to protect ourselves here,” she said.
“It’s basically slapping Newcastle with high risk.”
Despite rumours circulating the construction ban might be lifted, Premier Gladys Berejiklian made no mention of that in Monday’s daily Covid press conference.
She said the threat was far to great and the government would be working with the industry to ensure the industry got back to work safely on July 31.
“What we can’t have is people especially without symptoms visiting multiple worksites, visiting construction sites with hundreds of workers and spreading the disease,” she said.
“We’re wanting industry to be well supported, testing on site, that’s why it is important to take a pause so they can resume safely indefinitely.”
But stopped short of addressing whether workers could then travel to the regions, besides those from Fairfield, Canterbury and Bankstown which are on stay-at-home orders.
Ms Berejiklian’s office was contacted, but declined to comment further.
Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery is urging the NSW Government to rethink the decision not to exclude constructions workers from Sydney from travelling to work on Newcastle building sites.
“Late on Sunday afternoon, the Premier’s office issued interim advice to allow workers from Greater Sydney to work in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, despite those fears of covid transmission,” Ms Hornery said.
“Because the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas are less than 50kms from the edge of the Greater Sydney area, they are not required to undergo weekly testing.
“The Government need to urgently reconsider this decision to allow these workers to travel.”
Ms Hornery added the workers posed a significant risk to sites in regional NSW.
“The Newcastle LGA has been Covid free for almost 12 months and one single case would have a catastrophic impact on the local economy,” she explained.
“Until the Greater Sydney restrictions ease, local sites should be using local workers.
“The risk to the fragile local economy by bringing in workers from Greater Sydney is too great.”
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