4:10pm, 26th June, 2021
Member clubs are advised that earlier today, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that ‘Greater Sydney’ will be subjected to stay-at-home restrictions and additional restrictions will be applied to the rest of NSW from 6pm today, 26 June until 11.59pm on Friday, 9 July 2021.
Further details on the restrictions can be found in the NSW Government’s media release, here.
Clubs in ‘Greater Sydney’ required to close
Clubs in ‘Greater Sydney’, which includes the local government areas (LGAs) of Wollongong, Blue Mountains and Central Coast are required to cease on-premises activities from 6pm today.
Clubs in Greater Sydney may remain open for takeaway food and beverages.
As per the media release, clubs in the LGA of Shellharbour are not included in ‘Greater Sydney’ and may therefore remain open for on-premises activities.
Financial support
Under the Australian Government’s temporary COVID Disaster Payment, employees whose work or income has been affected by a lockdown may be eligible for a payment of up to:
- $500 per week for losing 20 hours or more of work, and
- $325 per week for losing under 20 hours.
The payment will be made from the second week and any subsequent weeks of a lockdown.
To be eligible for the payment, an individual must work in a Commonwealth-declared hotspot. The Commonwealth has currently declared the seven LGAs of Waverley, Woollahra, Randwick, City of Sydney, Canada Bay and Inner West to be hotspots, however, it is likely that this declaration will be expanded.
Further information on the COVID Disaster Payment, including additional eligibility criteria, can be found here.
The Premier also foreshadowed that NSW would announce financial assistance for affected businesses in the coming days.
Restrictions for clubs located outside ‘Greater Sydney’
The Premier also announced that from 6pm today, the rest of NSW would be subjected to the rules currently in place in Greater Sydney. These restrictions are as follows:
- Clubs must require patrons to be seated while drinking in indoor areas.
- Capacity in indoor and outdoor areas is determined in accordance with 1 patron per 4 square metres. These capacity restrictions apply to regular club activities as well as functions and special events, including weddings and wakes.
- Clubs must ensure that no singing or dancing takes place on the club premises. Clubs may host live entertainment featuring one or more vocalists, however, live performers are not permitted to dance. Dancing is permitted for up to 20 people at weddings for the wedding party only.
- Masks must be worn by all individuals in indoor areas of the club premises, including in food and drink areas and for back-of-house employees such as kitchen staff. A person may remove their mask to eat or drink and people are exempted if they have a skin condition, intellectual disability, autism, trauma or another condition which makes wearing a mask unsuitable. Further information on the requirement to wear masks can be found in Circulars 21-106 and 21-107.
- People who have been in ‘Greater Sydney’ on or after 21 June should follow the stay-at-home orders for a period of 14 days after they left ‘Greater Sydney’.
Golf and bowls — ‘Greater Sydney’
The public health order giving effect to the Premier’s announcement has not yet been made. ClubsNSW will provide further information to clubs in due course in relation to permitting golf and bowls.
It is noted that the stay-at-home orders currently in place in the eastern suburbs of Sydney permit people to play golf or bowls at a club in the same LGA as they reside.
11:20am, 26th June, 2021
Member clubs are advised that the amendments to the public health order announced by the Premier yesterday have now been registered and are in effect.
The public health order clarifies the following matters:
Clubs located in Waverley, Woollahra, Randwick & City of Sydney must close
Clubs located in the local government areas (LGAs) of Waverley, Woollahra, Randwick and City of Sydney (the four LGAs) are required to cease on-premises activities.
Clubs in the four LGAs may serve takeaway food and beverages.
Club employees residing in the four LGAs
Club employees residing in the four LGAs may work in a club located outside the four LGAs.
Club employees living in the four LGAs may also work in a club located in the four LGAs carrying out functions which are permitted, such as preparing or serving takeaway food and beverages.
Clubs in the four LGAs may open their golf course or bowling green
The closure requirements in the public health order mirror those which applied during the shutdown in March 2020 and, accordingly, people are permitted to exercise by playing golf or bowls.
However, individuals who do not reside in the four LGAs are not permitted to enter any of the four LGAs to play golf or bowls. Moreover, a person is only able to play golf or bowls in the same local government area in which they live.
Clarification on mask wearing
The Public Health (COVID-19 Greater Sydney) Order (No 2) 2021 requires masks to be worn in all indoor areas of non-residential premises, subject to the rules and exceptions outlined in Circulars 21-106 and 21-107.
For more information or any questions, please contact the ClubsNSW Members Enquiries Centre.