The Australian Constructors Association is committed to the wellbeing of everyone in our industry. To provide clarity, advice and essential resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have collated a range of information and resources to support our members, suppliers and partners in the safe operation of workplaces across Australia.

 

NSW

Framework for the provision of Rapid Antigen Screening for COVID

This Framework has been developed to guide the delivery of high quality, safe and appropriate rapid antigen screening for COVID. The Chief Health Officer has confirmed that, where the requirement for a rapid antigen test applies, of a kind approved by the Chief Health Officer, the approved process is set out in this document under the Rapid Antigen Testing Indicative Process.

 

Victoria

The Victorian Government has announced restrictions on the Victorian construction industry will ease from 11.59pm on Monday, 4 October.

In order to work onsite, all workers will need to continue to carry an Authorised Worker Permit and have had at least one vaccine dose. Every construction site in Victoria must also have a designated fully trained COVID Marshal to ensure compliance with the Chief Health Officer‘s directions.

Prior to reopening, operators will be required to attest that they have implemented the CHO directions and every site will need to have an up to date vaccination register available for compliance checks at all times. Crib facilities may be used for the consumption of food and drink with strict density requirements and additional ventilation.

Up to five workers and a supervisor will be able to work onsite for small scale construction projects, and large scale sites can have up to 25 per cent of workers onsite. If crib rooms meet best practice and the entire workforce is fully vaccinated, large scale construction sites can have up to 50 per cent of workers onsite.

Projects on the State Critical Infrastructure list will operate at 100 per cent as long as crib rooms follow best practice guidelines.

Subject to continued high levels of compliance by the industry, workforce caps will progressively increase. At our 70 per cent double dose milestone, large scale construction can return to 100 per cent of its workforce.

Caps will be removed when Victoria reaches its 80 per cent target, and in addition, all onsite workers must be fully vaccinated by 13 November.

Fully vaccinated workers can travel between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria in order to work onsite.

Workers on state critical projects or large scale construction can also travel between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria if they have had a single dose, take an initial test before their first travel, then test twice per week until fully vaccinated.

To allow all sites to remobilise, workers who have had at least one vaccination dose will be able to enter a site prior to 5 October in order to undertake crib facility improvements, participate in a reinduction or receive deliveries.

Resources

View the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Directions (No.2) and Workplace (Additional Industry Obligations) Directions (No. 43). Limited medical exemptions and proof-of-booking exceptions will apply, in line with previous requirements for residential aged care workers.

View the FAQs.

The Victorian Building and Construction Industry COVID-19 Guidelines (Revision 14) – 1 September 2021 can be found here.

More information on the Authorised provider and authorised worker permit is available on the coronavirus website.

More information specific to the construction industry is available on the construction sector page.