‘Too many rules’: Victoria’s retail roadmap revealed
Small businesses have accused the Victorian Government of ignoring their pleas as a retail road map with “too many rules” for shoppers and staff is revealed.
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EXCLUSIVE: Small businesses say they have been pleading with the Victorian state government to give them detailed plans ahead of reopening but only received a comprehensive document outlining the changes on Wednesday.
The Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia’s chief executive officer Peter Strong said leaked documents showing the changes were an “impost” on small operators.
“The time for this discussion was two months ago, not now and there is confusion and fear among businesses that they are not going to get right,” he said.
“We’ve asked for meetings many times only to get no response for months.”
The 24-page document outlines strict new measures including workplace bubbles, staggered shifts, lunch breaks outside and they will no longer be able to have carpool arrangements with colleagues.
The draft plans outline that all workplace premises must have a COVIDSafe Plan which includes ensuring businesses enforce physical distancing between workers and customers to ensure they are 1.5m apart at all times.
It also requires the compulsory wearing of face masks even when workers or customers are on the phone or with others instore.
The workplace bubbles requires businesses to ensure groups of workers work on the same shifts and there is no overlap during shift changes – they must also limit or cease employees working across multiple locations.
The plans also state that interactions in enclosed spaces should be avoided.
“All activities are to be held in outside areas where practical which don’t have a roof or ceiling,” the document states.
“This includes meetings, lunch breaks, customer registrations.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said this week he might be able to bring forward the reopening of retail which at this stage is scheduled for November 2.
Mr Strong many businesses had been closed for months and the new rules that must be implemented were difficult for operators enforce.
“We’ve been through enough, we absolutely want to be safe,” he said.
“Once again it shows that the state government doesn’t understand anything about a small business and how it will work.
“There’s too many rules in there, we had SafeWork Australia putting out 1600 pages on how a business needs to be COVID safe.”
Stores must have a record of every person that attends their workplace for more than 15 minutes.
And it also states their businesses should keep “open windows and outside doors where possible to maximise ventilation.”
The Australian Retailers Association’s chief executive officer Paul Zahra said they had received the draft document and were reviewing it and will provide feedback to the state government on Thursday.
A spokesman for Jaala Pulford, the Minister for Jobs, said the draft document was “prepared for the purpose of consultation with industry.”
“The final guidelines will provide a vital guide for businesses as we reopen safely,” he said.
Latest Australian Taxation Office showed since the beginning of September about 800 Victorian businesses a day are signing up to the Federal Government’s JobKeeper wage subsidy program.
Earlier this week the bosses of seven of the nation’s biggest employers demanded the Premier let Victorians get back to work.