23 August 2021 / COVID-19

Stay-at-home order extensions and other new requirements in NSW

As announced by the NSW Government last week, stay-at-home restrictions for Greater Sydney will remain in place until at least the end of September. Regional NSW's stay-at-home restrictions will remain in place until at least 28 August.

The Central Coast and Shellharbour local government areas (LGAs) were previously covered in the Greater Sydney area but are now identified as Regional NSW and will be subject to the same rules and restrictions as the regional areas

For those living and working in the 12x affected LGAs of concern, some additional rules came into effect as of 12.01am this morning, along with some other restrictions which are detailed further below under the heading 'Affected LGAs of Concern'.

NSW Media Release

Positive case on Hutchies' site

You may have already become aware that Hutchies' Castle Residences site in the Sydney CBD has been closed today due to the identification yesterday of a positive COVID-19 case who likely worked on site whilst unknowingly infectious last week.

The worker is a tiler from an affected LGA who had been complying with NSW Health's testing and vaccination requirements. Once identified, the site team took the appropriate step of immediately contacting NSW Health for guidance and informing Hutchies' directors.  

Whilst the team works through the details and does what it can to assist in NSW Health's contact tracing process, the site has been closed with all relevant parties notified and directed to get tested. 

Hutchies will provide an update once more information is available. Please take this news as an opportunity to review all current site processes and your COVIDSafe plan to ensure that your project is strictly adhering to all NSW Government required measures on site.

Hutchies' offices remain closed except for exceptional circumstances where working from home is not reasonably practicable, which is at the discretion of Team Leaders. 

Affected LGAs of concern

Additional rules for the LGAs of concern have been announced. 

From 12.01am Monday, 23 August the following additional rules came into effect for residents and businesses in the LGAs of concern:

  • Curfews introduced from 9pm to 5am (except for authorised workers, emergencies or medical care)
  • Outdoor exercise is limited to one hour per day
  • The following retail premises will only be able to operate click and collect for the general public. Tradespeople are still allowed to shop in store where relevant:
    • garden centres and plant nurseries
    • office supplies
    • hardware and building supplies
    • landscaping material supplies
    • rural supplies
    • pet supplies 
    • Note: Bunnings has made the decision to switch to click and collect across Greater Sydney, but will allow tradespeople in store.
  • All exams and other education or professional development related activities will move online, not including the HSC. The government will provide further information on its education plan in due course.

The following new restrictions around workplaces and authorised workers from the LGAs of concern will also be introduced from Saturday 28 August:

  • Authorised workers from the LGAs of concern will be required to carry a permit from Service NSW declaring that they are an authorised worker and cannot work from home. Note: the online application process to apply for this permit is not yet available.
  • Anyone entering an LGA of concern for the purposes of work must carry a worker permit issued by Service NSW. Note: the online application process to apply for this permit is not yet available.

Note: Any new rules that do not apply to construction have been omitted from the above to avoid confusion. You can read the full update pertaining to other industries here.

Additional measures across NSW

From 12.01am Monday 23 August, the following additional rule was introduced for Greater Sydney (including Regional NSW until at least 28 August):

  • Mask wearing will be mandatory when outside your home, except when exercising.

The NSW Police Force enhanced powers also came into effect from 12.01am Monday 23 August, including:

  • Ability for the Commissioner of Police to lockdown apartment blocks while NSW Health assesses the COVID risk
  • Ability for the Commissioner of Police to declare a residential premise a COVID-risk premise and require all people to present to police during compliance checks
  • Abilities to allow Police to direct a person who has been issued with an infringement notice to return to their place of residence
  • If a person from outside an LGA of concern is found to be in an LGA of concern without a reasonable excuse, they will be fined $1000 and required to isolate at home for 14 days.

As of 12:01am, Saturday 21 August: 

  • Anyone who lives in Greater Sydney and needs to travel more then 50km outside of Greater Sydney for the purpose of authorised work, must first register for a Regional NSW Travel Permit

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30 October / Quality Alert
Prohibition on the Use of Engineered Stone

Engineered stone ban effective 1 July 2024

ALL engineered stone regardless of the silica content percentage will be banned

Alternative products must be considered and implemented on all projects.

The industry is shifting away from engineered stone due to the risks of respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis and other silica-related diseases. Although the consultations are under way and there has been no official announcement by Federal or State Governments on the issue, the health and safety risks along with the uncertainty around this issue warrants a decision to ban all engineered products entering job sites nationally. The ban will take effect on 1 July 2024 and will extend to ALL engineered stone regardless of the silica content percentage. 

An update to this alert will be provided before the end of the year when the Federal and State Governments are expected to issue a formal decision on the ban. In the meantime, to mitigate the impact of potential delays and variations, the best approach is to inform the clients of the pending ban and to propose and seek approval for an alternative product. Similarly, ensure all future estimates have the stone specification qualified and priced accordingly.

Product alternatives going forward include:

Compact Laminates

  • Under 1% silica content
  • Extremely competitive pricing
  • Only comes in 12mm thickness
  • Heat resistance is an issue
  • Product not suitable for high end applications

Porcelain Surfaces

  • Under 10% silica content
  • Price dependant of product and supplier
  • Large variety of colours and thicknesses (4, 8, 12, 20 and 30mm)
  • Great resistance to staining, scratches, UV and heat
  • Good warranty terms

Acrylic Solid Surfaces

  • 0% silica content
  • More expensive alternative
  • Limited thickness availability
  • UV stable and heat resistant but direct heat exposure not advised
  • Minimising wastage through flexibility in sheet sizing
  • Seamless joints

Natural Stone*

  • Various silica content percentages
  • Variety of products at different price points available
  • Ongoing maintenance may be an issue
  • Unlikely to satisfy specific warranty requirements

*Although this alert does not directly impact natural stone, some types have high silica content so risk of using these on projects should be considered carefully.

For an up-to-date list of available products and their usability, click here.

More information

If you need additional support, please contact the Quality Team:

Phone 1300 HUTCHIES
Email QualityTeam@hutchinsonbuilders.com.au

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