News | 09 September

To: CCF Victoria staff, members and stakeholders.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – From the CEO Desk.

Good evening.

Further to my CEO update on 6 September, we are all starting to come to grips with the series of announcements and road maps that has been released by the State Government.

With our CCF Connect enews coming out tomorrow, it is important that I provide you a further updates on the current status of work and our engagement for and on your behalf aligned to the circulation of CCF Connect to CCF members and key industry stakeholders.

Number of Covid-19 cases in Victoria

There were 76 new positive cases reported in Victoria yesterday, 55 on Monday, 41 on Sunday and 63 on Saturday, which continues the welcome return to double digit numbers. 11 lives have been lost and our sincerest condolences go to family and friends of the deceased. There has been one positive case returned in the building and construction industry since my last update and that involves civil construction works at a site in the South East region. Contact tracing revealed that this worker contracted the C-19 virus from a family member with whom he lives and return a positive result from an outbreak at a dairy in Colac. This is the first new positive case in any sector of the industry in nearly 3 weeks.

Stage 4 Restrictions Update

The road map and step processes to be achieved to reach COVID Normal is very clear for both Metropolitan Melbourne & Regional Victoria. 

Stage 4 restrictions:

As most Victorians living in Metropolitan Melbourne would be aware, in Step 1 of the Government’s Roadmap, Stage 4 restrictions continue to 28 September, with some minor relaxation of the curfew and social interaction from 13 September. 

Step 2 in the Roadmap has much more impact for the Building and Construction industry, which will only be allowed if the average daily case rate in Metro Melbourne is in the range of 30-50 AND a public health review of transmission sources. In other words, Step 2 is not a given on 28 September.

So subject to that approval, the Building and Construction industry as a whole, being a permitted industry (as opposed to for example, pubs, casinos, gyms, theatres etc) can move from the current category of Heavily Restricted to Restricted. Depending on the sector of the industry that you work in, there is a range of extended workforce numbers available, with stringent requirements for compliance with existing and new measures to contain the virus.

All of the available information concerning these industry sector levels and requirements can be found at the Government’s website https://www.vic.gov.au/industry-restrictions-roadmap-metro-melbourne

Permitted Worker Permit Scheme

With the extension of stage 4 restrictions from 11.59pm this Sunday, 13 September, all current Permitted Worker Permits will expire covering the current 6 week (stage 4) period.  I have sought clarification from DJPR & DHHS over the last 24 hours on how this is to be approached and worker permits extended.

I have been advised that until the Business Victoria website catches up with the changes that the Premier announced to the COVID-19 restrictions, contractors are instructed to do the following in regards to the Permitted Worker Permit:

  1. Attach an addendum page to the Permit, replicating the either Table 1 or Table 2 with the weeks continuing on from 13 September, and complete as normal
  2. If a person is going to a few sites each week they will need to be completing a Log Recording of each of the work locations, and date and time of attendance. They should continue to do what they were previously doing in this regard under the movement restrictions.

If the above is undertaken, I am advised that there would not be any issues until the new documents appear on the Business Victoria website. Please keep an eye out for these documents via the attached link, which still has the document loaded up to 13 September. https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/permitted-worker-scheme-covid-19 

Until my next update …. keep well – keep safe.

Kind regards

John Kilgour

CEO, CCF Victoria

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