❓ The Premier outlines the details of Phase 4 of WA's COVID-19 restriction easing, highlighting the removal of gathering limits (using the 2sqm rule), relaxed rules for hospitality and gyms, and increased capacity for sporting events. The hard border remains due to the situation in Victoria.
AnsweredQoN 456Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS — EASING
456. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's decision to move to phase 4 of WA's road map for
the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, which was announced yesterday. Can the
Premier advise the house what phase 4 will mean for Western Australians,
including local businesses in my electorate of Joondalup; and can the Premier
outline to the house how WA compares with the rest of the country in the
relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions?
GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS — EASING
456. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's decision to move to phase 4 of WA's road map for
the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, which was announced yesterday. Can the
Premier advise the house what phase 4 will mean for Western Australians,
including local businesses in my electorate of Joondalup; and can the Premier
outline to the house how WA compares with the rest of the country in the
relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Joondalup for
the question and her excellent advocacy for businesses across the northern
suburbs in her electorate of Joondalup. The response by Western Australians to
COVID-19 has been world-class. Our state has led the country and the world in
its response because of the way people embraced the changes that needed to be
made. We are now easily the most economically free and active state in
Australia. The announced changes will be implemented on Saturday and will
ensure that that continues. People are getting back to work, they are out
playing sport and they are going to bars, cafes and pubs. On Saturday we will go
even further in easing restrictions. Our border arrangements, both
international and interstate, give us the comfort, security and capacity to
alleviate internal restrictions within Western Australia far more than any
other state in Australia. From Saturday, life in WA will be the closest it has
been to normal in at least three months. What it will mean is this: existing
caps and limits on gatherings will be removed and gathering limits will be
determined by Western Australia's unique two-metre-squared rule. We are
the only state without the problematic four-square-metre rule that every other
state has in place. We have removed the restriction on seated services for
bars, cafes and restaurants. Alcohol can be served to anyone whether they are
seated or standing, for those who enjoy it that way. I am not going to read out
what is written here! As of Saturday, there will be no requirement for
maintaining a patron register. Gyms that operate 24/7 can reopen. They have to
have proper cleaning but they are not required to be staffed. From Saturday,
the casino gaming floor will reopen under agreed temporary conditions for the
next three weeks. Capacity at major sporting
events will be up to 50 per cent. Optus Stadium, HBF Stadium and RAC Arena will
have up to 50 per cent capacity. Technically, we could probably have one
of the biggest West Australian Football League games in living memory if we
wanted to hold one at Optus Stadium over that period. We have announced a target
for phase 5, which is 18 July. That will mean removing all restrictions within Western
Australia, except for the restriction on entering remote Aboriginal
communities, and our hard border with eastern states will stay in place. We do
require people to maintain physical distancing where possible and proper
hygiene arrangements and, obviously, if people are unwell, they should remain
at home and not go to work or elsewhere.
We were going to set a tentative
date for the removal of Western Australia's hard border but obviously
what has occurred in Victoria over the
course of the last week has put that on hold. This morning I heard the
Victorian Premier say that there is significant community spread of the
virus in Victoria. That is extremely concerning so we are not going to remove
our border with the eastern states until such time that Western Australia's
Chief Health Officer is confident that the spread of the infection in the
eastern states is under control. We will not set an arbitrary date at this
point in time. I know that many people are hurting and would like us to remove
the border arrangements but reintroducing the virus into Western Australia
would obviously be catastrophic and we want to reduce the prospect of that
occurring. Our approach throughout this process has been cautious, certainly in
terms of reintroducing the virus into Western Australia after having ensured
that the Western Australian economy is the now the freest and most open and
vibrant state economy in the whole country.
the question and her excellent advocacy for businesses across the northern
suburbs in her electorate of Joondalup. The response by Western Australians to
COVID-19 has been world-class. Our state has led the country and the world in
its response because of the way people embraced the changes that needed to be
made. We are now easily the most economically free and active state in
Australia. The announced changes will be implemented on Saturday and will
ensure that that continues. People are getting back to work, they are out
playing sport and they are going to bars, cafes and pubs. On Saturday we will go
even further in easing restrictions. Our border arrangements, both
international and interstate, give us the comfort, security and capacity to
alleviate internal restrictions within Western Australia far more than any
other state in Australia. From Saturday, life in WA will be the closest it has
been to normal in at least three months. What it will mean is this: existing
caps and limits on gatherings will be removed and gathering limits will be
determined by Western Australia's unique two-metre-squared rule. We are
the only state without the problematic four-square-metre rule that every other
state has in place. We have removed the restriction on seated services for
bars, cafes and restaurants. Alcohol can be served to anyone whether they are
seated or standing, for those who enjoy it that way. I am not going to read out
what is written here! As of Saturday, there will be no requirement for
maintaining a patron register. Gyms that operate 24/7 can reopen. They have to
have proper cleaning but they are not required to be staffed. From Saturday,
the casino gaming floor will reopen under agreed temporary conditions for the
next three weeks. Capacity at major sporting
events will be up to 50 per cent. Optus Stadium, HBF Stadium and RAC Arena will
have up to 50 per cent capacity. Technically, we could probably have one
of the biggest West Australian Football League games in living memory if we
wanted to hold one at Optus Stadium over that period. We have announced a target
for phase 5, which is 18 July. That will mean removing all restrictions within Western
Australia, except for the restriction on entering remote Aboriginal
communities, and our hard border with eastern states will stay in place. We do
require people to maintain physical distancing where possible and proper
hygiene arrangements and, obviously, if people are unwell, they should remain
at home and not go to work or elsewhere.
We were going to set a tentative
date for the removal of Western Australia's hard border but obviously
what has occurred in Victoria over the
course of the last week has put that on hold. This morning I heard the
Victorian Premier say that there is significant community spread of the
virus in Victoria. That is extremely concerning so we are not going to remove
our border with the eastern states until such time that Western Australia's
Chief Health Officer is confident that the spread of the infection in the
eastern states is under control. We will not set an arbitrary date at this
point in time. I know that many people are hurting and would like us to remove
the border arrangements but reintroducing the virus into Western Australia
would obviously be catastrophic and we want to reduce the prospect of that
occurring. Our approach throughout this process has been cautious, certainly in
terms of reintroducing the virus into Western Australia after having ensured
that the Western Australian economy is the now the freest and most open and
vibrant state economy in the whole country.
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