Some Sydney suburbs could be released from 12 areas of concern within weeks

The NSW Government is reassessing its local areas of concern, and certain Sydney suburbs could enjoy eased restrictions in weeks.

Some Sydney suburbs in the 12 local government areas of concern could be enjoying eased restrictions in weeks as the NSW Government considers the possibility of releasing those with low case numbers.

Parramatta Liberal MP Geoff Lee told news.com.au the NSW Government is considering releasing some suburbs from being included as areas of concern and this could happen prior to the state reaching its 70 per cent vaccination target, which will trigger the reopening of businesses.

He thought it was likely restrictions would be eased for certain suburbs in the northern and eastern parts of Parramatta local government area (LGA).

“There’s no logical reason why they should be treated the same as those suburbs in high Covid areas,” he said.

The Parramatta LGA covers a wide geographical area, as far east as Sydney Olympic Park, northwards to Epping and up to the Hills Shire boundary.

But Mr Lee said covid cases in the LGA were concentrated around its southern border with Cumberland council in suburbs like Toongabbie, Auburn and Lidcombe.

“Areas in the north and east have a low incidence. People are quite rightly saying, and I agree with them, why are we still in lockdown?”

The MP said he expected these areas would be released from stricter restrictions prior to the state reaching its 70 per cent double dose vaccination target — expected to be in mid October — although he acknowledged “I don’t make those decisions”.

He said the Government had been looking at the issue for a couple of weeks.

“We have to take health advice and I think they were concerned about people shopping in Parramatta,” he said.

“It’s really about slowing the mobility of those people in areas with high numbers but how can you justify this to someone in North Rocks, Beecroft or Epping where there are very low numbers?”

Parramatta is the second largest CBD in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Damian Shaw

Premier urges caution

Asked how she would respond to the growing calls for changes, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Wednesday she didn’t think there was a single person in the state who didn’t want more freedom.

“But we have to be cautious and responsible and to make sure we don’t compromise the great results we’ve had to date,” she said.

“As the 70 per cent double-dose figure comes closer and closer, I think people will feel more optimistic.

“It would be a shame … to give up at the last minute and ease things too soon which will compromise all of us having those freedoms.”

As news.com.au previously reported, residents in some Parramatta suburbs have pointed out that their suburbs are split between different LGAs and they should not be categorised as an area of concern.

Due to an amalgamation of councils in 2016, residents of Beecroft who live on the south side of the M2 are included in Parramatta LGA and are living under harsher restrictions. Residents on the opposite side — considered part of Hornsby LGA — are not.

There were only 13 active cases in the 2119 postcode covering Beecroft and Cheltenham, compared to 54 active cases in the 2204 postcode, which includes Marrickville in the Inner West LGA, which is not an area of concern.

The vaccination rate in Parramatta LGA is also high — 81 per cent have received their first dose.

“If you just look at our pure numbers we shouldn’t be there (as an area of concern),” Mr Lee said.

“It’s about time we have a more nuanced approach to lockdowns.”

Covid case numbers in the suburbs north and east of Parramatta LGA are lower than in other areas. Source: NSW Health

Parramatta Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer also supported the call for some suburbs to be released from the tougher restrictions. He lives 500 metres from the Hills council and believes the extra restrictions don’t serve any purpose.

“I’m certainly in favour of restrictions being lifted and based on suburb rather than LGA,” he said.

“We’re not comparable to Canterbury, Fairfield or Bankstown (LGAs).”

He also noted that Parramatta contained the second CBD of Sydney.

“It’s not just an average suburb, it’s a major commercial centre,” he said. “Large numbers of public servants work there and we need them to come back and support our businesses.”

He said businesses had already suffered in the past two years due to the construction of light rail through the CBD.

“These people are down on their knees,” he said.

“We can’t lock down that sort of commercial centre for such a long time,’ he said.

Dominic Surace, owner of the North Rocks based marketing content business Mediabelle, said he didn’t see why his suburb should be hamstrung with the rest of the LGA.

“Government needs to realise that a lot of people put their heart and soul into their businesses, to realise their dream, and they need to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

While Ms Berejiklian has announced an end to the curfew in the 12 areas of concern from midnight Wednesday, Mr Surace said it was not enough.

“Things like the curfew or allowing picnics is like a kid taking a wrapper off a lolly” he said.

“People are feeling like they’re in a prison and are getting fed up, the feeling out there is that it’s unfair and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

“People want to get on with their lives and get back to their business and make their dreams a reality.”

However, there is some good news for parents in the areas of concern, with a spokesman for the Education Minister Sarah Mitchell confirming all children would begin a staggered return to face-to-face learning from October 25.

“This applies statewide unless the area is released from stay at home orders, in which case students would be back at school already – this is the case in most parts of regional NSW,” he said.

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