Chaos as PM’s salon backflip mucks business around

Laidley salon owner stayed open all night to fit her clients in, only to wake up to news the rule had been relaxed.

RULES have changed yet again following yesterday's frenzy in the region's hair salons.

Two days ago, Prime Minister Scott Morrison brought in a rule as part of level two federal restrictions aimed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which limited hair salons to half-hour appointments.

As a result, salons were overrun with business as people tried to fit in one last full appointment.

Overnight, the rule was lifted.

After working until close to midnight to fit in all her clients, one Laidley hairdresser said the confusion was a complete muck around.

When Fine Lines Barber - Hair - Beauty co-owner Adina McCarthy heard hairdressing appointments needed to be limited to half an hour after midnight, March 25, she contacted all her clients to try to move their appointments forward.

"I rescheduled appointments, I canned appointments and I stayed open until late last night to get everyone through," she said.

"And now it's been said that we can do it … What's tomorrow going to bring us?"

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Adina and her friend Tonilea Saunders opened the salon together six weeks ago, offering hairdressing and other beauty services.

Because of the new restrictions banning beauty salon services, Tonilea has had to take time off work - her specialties, including cosmetic tattooing and piercing, fall into the banned category.

When the half-hour rule was brought in, Adina was afraid about the future of the business.

While the time limit has been lifted, a rule enforcing salons to only see one guest per four square metres of the salon has remained in place.

"If you have a small salon, you can only have one client at a time," Adina said.

"Most salons put a colour on and then another on and then they go back to the first client so you've got two going at once - but now it's only one at a time."

She said the rule meant many salons would not be able to afford to stay open due to the loss of income.

"I'm working for myself so I can do that, but everyone's losing out," she said.

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