MPs call on Berejiklian to apply harsh lockdown rules to suburbs, not LGAs

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is under pressure from her MPs to release COVID-19 hotspots from harsh restrictions and for health orders to be applied to suburbs with high case numbers rather than entire local government areas.

Liberal MPs including Police Minister David Elliott and member for Seven Hills Mark Taylor are urging the Premier to rethink the lockdown boundaries that are dividing Sydney.

Mr Elliott, who is the member for Baulkham Hills, said the suburb of North Rocks should be considered part of the Hills Shire, as it was before council amalgamations. Instead, it is captured by the Parramatta local government area, meaning it is one of the 12 areas of concern enduring stricter lockdown measures and a curfew.

“It should be considered part of the Hills for the purpose of the hard lockdown,” Mr Elliott said.

In a letter to Ms Berejiklian, Mr Taylor called for future changes to lockdowns to be applied by suburbs and not local government areas, saying his electorate of Seven Hills is split by three LGAs.

Mr Taylor said the “blunt application” of boundaries could lead to blanket restrictions that would unfairly affect suburbs, even after NSW reaches its 70 per cent double dose target.

His plea comes as Ms Berejiklian prepares to meet the mayors of Sydney’s hardest-hit areas on Tuesday after being widely criticised for initially refusing their request amid concerns of worsening divisions across the city.

Ms Berejiklian’s office extended the invitation to the 12 mayors on Monday after the local leaders had accused the Premier of “snubbing” them after she declined their pleas for a virtual meeting.

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour said he was contacted by the Premier’s office shortly after appearing on breakfast television on Monday.

“Some pleasing news this morning that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has agreed to meet myself and other mayors to discuss the current COVID crisis,” Cr Asfour posted on social media.

“As you all know I have been trying for weeks to meet with her to raise issues ranging from curfews, to more vaccines and financial support.”

NSW reported 1257 new local cases and seven deaths on Monday. More than 46 per cent of people over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated and 78.5 per cent have received one shot. NSW is expected to reach 80 per cent first doses by Wednesday.

The Premier fronted the media on Monday despite last week announcing Sunday would be the last formal 11am daily COVID update she would deliver.

“I was always scheduled to do today because of the key milestones we announced, and obviously today’s the first day many people have freedoms they didn’t have before,” she said.

Ms Berejiklian said there were “glimmers of hope” that increased vaccination rates over the past few weeks were leading to a stabilisation of cases in some hotspots.

Mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown Khal Asfour.

“We suspect and hope, fingers crossed, that it’s because the vaccine rate is starting to kick in,” she said, but added there had been a “slight slowdown” in inoculations in recent days.

Most cases continue to be concentrated in south-west and western Sydney, but health authorities remain concerned about rising numbers among vulnerable communities in inner-city suburbs such as Redfern, Glebe and Waterloo, which are not classified as areas of concern.

Ms Berejiklian said the decision to move areas in and out of harsher restrictions was based on health advice. She said health authorities call out areas, even when they are not formally areas of concern, when there are “increasing cases, where cases didn’t exist before”.

City of Sydney council area was singled out for having below-average vaccination rates, with particular “pockets of vulnerability”.

The Premier said she would like to lift suburbs from harsher restrictions, but said it was too soon to do so, adding that the priority was ensuring strong vaccination rates.

“We have to take the health advice, especially until we get to 70 per cent double dose, as difficult as it is. Because even [then], those who have not had any doses of vaccine remain vulnerable.”

There are 1189 coronavirus patients in hospital, with 222 in intensive care and 94 requiring ventilation.

The regional town of Yass in the Southern Tablelands was plunged into a 14-day lockdown on Monday afternoon, three days after it was released from the statewide lockdown.

Cases are stabilising in parts of regional NSW, however infections are on the rise in the Hunter, Central Coast and Wollongong.

Select freedoms for fully vaccinated adults kicked in on Monday, including unlimited outdoor recreation and picnics for five adults in non-hotspot areas and two hours for households in areas of concern.

Ms Berejiklian also dismissed comments from the Deputy Premier John Barilaro, who earlier told morning radio that people who chose not to get vaccinated could only be excluded from home visits and businesses for a short period.

“I don’t want people to think they can sit back and let everybody else do the hard work, and then turn up when it’s 80 per cent and get everything else that vaccinated people are. That is not the right message,” Ms Berejiklian said.

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