The building industry in Victoria has expressed bitter disappointment following the announcement of new restrictions which will curtail the level of construction activity in metropolitan Melbourne.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has extended the lockdown in metropolitan Melbourne for two weeks and imposed tighter restrictions on the state’s construction sector.

As a result, settings for the sector return to those which were in place during Stage 4 restrictions in August and September last year.

Accordingly, the following restrictions are now in force throughout metropolitan Melbourne:

• For large scale construction(more than three storeys high at completion. or larger than 1500sqm in floor size across all floors, or for office, industrial or large format retail use), no more than 25 per cent of usual workers can be on site (see below for calculation details).
• For early-stage land development (all civil works undertaken on open air, large greenfield sites that are associated with and preparatory to construction of multiple individual residential dwellings or industrial or commercial development on a site), there can be no more than 10 workers per hectare at any one time.
• For small scale construction(anything that doesn’t meet the criteria of large-scale construction), no more than five people plus a supervisor can be on site.
• From midnight on Tuesday, all workers living in Melbourne must carry and authorised worker permit which needs to be certified by an employer. Workers who live in regional Victoria but who come to Melbourne to carry out authorised work must also carry a permit.
• Employers must limit movement of workers between construction sites, except in relation to supervisors on small-scale construction sites, specialist contractors (up to three construction sites per week), specialists who provide safety services, or those required to meet statutory obligations or requirements (e.g., auditors, building inspectors or surveyors).
• The provision for outdoor work at occupied premises returns to a single authorised worker. An exception applies where it is dangerous to work alone, in which case a supervisor is allowed.
• Sites can be phased downto new capacity restrictions in a safe way.
• The one worker per four square metres of enclosed workspace rule applies, and workers must wear face masks both indoors and outdoors unless a lawful reason not to wear one applies.

Exemptions to the capacity rules above apply for critical infrastructure and emergency repairs.

Note that the rules apply to metropolitan Melbourne only. Regional Victoria is not affected.

Full details and information are available on the Construction sector guidance section of the Victorian Government coronavirus web site.

As mentioned above, large scale construction sites are restricted to no more than 25 percent of their usual workforce when on site.

To determine this number, construction firms need to take the daily average number of workers on site across the project lifecycle. This will be derived from the site’s resourcing plan as of 16 August.

Restrictions will also be tightened in the general community.

Under the new rules:

• A curfew will be in place from 9pm to 5am each night, with no-one permitted to leave their home except for “limited reasons”;
• As mentioned above, worker permits will be reintroduced in line with the stage 4 restrictions last year, with only authorised workers allowed to attend site.
• Outdoor playgrounds, skate parks, basketball courts and gym equipment will be closed.
• Exercise must be done with only one other person.
• Face coverings can only be removed outdoors to eat or to drink non-alcoholic beverages.

In addition to the tighter restrictions, the government has extended the duration of the lockdown for two weeks.

Rather than ending on Thursday as originally scheduled, the lockdown is now scheduled to run until Thursday September 2.

In a statement, Master Builders Victoria expressed ‘extreme disappointment’ at the latest moves.

MBV CEO Rebecca Casson said tougher restrictions for the building and construction industry in metropolitan Melbourne would have a devastating impact on a sector already reeling from repeated snap lockdowns this year.

One member told Master Builders that the latest restrictions would cost them around $2.4m in repeated fixed costs and force them to make labour stand downs.

Casson said the building and construction industry appeared was being unfairly punished following disappointing public behaviour at the weekend.

These included a pub crawl at Richmond and an engagement party in Caulfield North attended by 69 people.

Describing the new restrictions as a ‘bitterly disheartening move’, she said the building sector since the start of the pandemic had continued to follow the bespoke COVID-19 Guidelines for the Building and Construction Industry Victoria – which is now up to revision 13 – and implemented many measures ahead of other sectors.

“Whilst we understand this decision from a health perspective, our sector has a strong proven track record of keeping worksites safe,” Casson said.

“This can be demonstrated by cases of COVID-19 on worksites being very small in comparison to overall cases in the Victorian community.

“Even at the height of the pandemic in 2020, the ratio of building and construction cases compared to the wider community was 1:7.5.

“We’ve had six positive cases in 2021, and only 148 cases in total since the pandemic began in March 2020. It’s therefore hugely disappointing that our industry is now paying the price for some regrettable and highly publicised flouting of restrictions at the weekend.”

The latest restrictions come as Victoria recorded 25 new cases on Monday – thirteen of whom were active in the community during their infectious period and four with regard to which origins of the infection remain unknown.

There are now a total of 205 active cases within the community.

In a statement, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the tightening and extension of restrictions is necessary in response to the number of active cases and new exposure sites.

He encouraged Victorians to follow the rules and to get vaccinated.

“These restrictions are hard work for every Victorian. Everyone wants this pandemic to be over, but the rules are in place for a reason – we know they work and if we follow them together, we’ll be able to lift them sooner,” Andrews said.

The Property Council of Australia said it was critical to reopen the industry as soon as possible.

“The construction industry has proven time and time again that its commitment to COVID safety is world-class and its culture of compliance and ability to fully mitigate the risk of COVID stops the spread on worksites and has kept the community safe,” the Council said in an alert.

“One in four working Victorians works in the property and construction sector. This shut down will be detrimental for the livelihoods and mental health of hundreds of thousands of Victorians and Victorian jobs.

“As soon as is absolutely possible, construction needs to be reopened. Victorian livelihoods depend on it, the Victorian economy depends on it.

“The construction industry will continue to deliver excellence in COVID safety on worksites, keeping our people and the community safe.

“Most importantly at all, we encourage all of those in the construction sector who may not be able to work during this period, to get their vaccine if they are able to. More jabs means more jobs will be secure and are a pathway out of this lockdown.”