NSW Health and Fair Trading seem to be struggling to keep up with each other over whether or not renovations are allowed in apartment blocks.

According to a Health spokesman we heard from yesterday (Wednesday, Aug 3), construction workers are now allowed to work in apartment buildings in Greater Sydney (other than the eight hot-spot local government areas) provided they wear face masks in common areas and lifts.

In response to a direct question about renovation work in apartments, at a time when many people are working from home and residents in NSW have been asked to stay indoors at all times, a NSW Health media release says “alterations and additions to buildings and trade work,” can now be carried out in the non-hot spot areas.

This includes in strata schemes provided no more than two workers are in “the residence” and no residents are in the same room as the workers.

Also, just to be clear, a NSW Health spokesperson confirmed the “residence” means an individual apartment so it would be possible to have multiple renovations being carried out in one apartment block at the same time.

However, at the same time, Customer Service (the Fair Trading mothership) had on its website that kitchen and bathroom renovations were forbidden (with a couple of exceptions). NB: This information is now “under review” according to the website.

But this is what NSW Health said in a media release sent to us on Tuesday afternoon (Aug 3 and a NSW Government contact has confirmed that this is the correct information):

Since Saturday 31 July, the pause on construction has been lifted in Greater Sydney, other than in the eight LGAs. Construction cannot take place in one of the eight LGAs (Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta) unless the work is urgently required for the following limited purposes:

• to ensure the safety or security of the construction site
• to deal with environmental risks
• to maintain and ensure the integrity of critical plant, equipment or assets, including partially completed works, that would otherwise deteriorate
• to receive deliveries of supplies that would otherwise deteriorate
• to maintain public utilities
• to ensure the safe operation of existing transport infrastructure
• by or on behalf of NSW Health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or
• because of an emergency.

From 31 July, prescribed work – such as cleaning, repairs, maintenance, alterations and additions to buildings and trade work, including gardening and landscaping – can be carried out in areas of Greater Sydney other than in the eight LGAs of concern.

No more than two workers can visit a residence at the same time (whether or not the workers are carrying out prescribed work or other work) or five persons if they are all outside.

No person, other than a worker, can be in the same room when the worker is carrying out the work.

In the eight LGAs of concern, prescribed work can only be carried out if the work is urgently required for health, safety or security of the premises; the work is for the installation, maintenance or repair of an essential utility or telecommunication services or for fire protection and safety or in unoccupied premises, or if the work is cleaning or maintenance necessary for the sale or lease of the property.

A worker who lives in one of the eight LGAs of concern can only leave their LGA for work if they are an authorised worker.

NSW Health strongly recommends people performing repairs, maintenance, or cleaning at a place of residence wear a face mask.

If you work in an indoor area of common property in a residential building that is strata titled, community titled or company titled, you must wear a face mask in:

• a shared foyer or lobby of an apartment block
• lifts, stairwells and corridors
• shared laundry facilities.

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