NSW businesses can continue to trade and receive deliveries for 24 hours a day. Until 25 March 2021, businesses can adjust their hours of operation to continue providing food, medical supplies and household goods to the community.
In March 2020, the NSW government amended the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 to allow retail premises, such as supermarkets, pharmacies and corner stores, to operate for 24 hours a day. This amendment has now been extended until 25 March 2021.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said that this extension was necessary for maintaining access to essential goods and services.
“Our quick response to the immediate challenges of the pandemic ensured everyone had access to essential household goods, businesses remained viable and the economy kept ticking,” Mr Stokes said.
“Six months down the track it’s obvious we still need this flexibility. The pandemic has taught us that we can be nimble and reduce red tape where necessary.
“We have to live with the virus for a little while yet, so we’ve extended these orders and will review them before the new expiry date in March next year.”
Supermarket and other retail outlets will also be allowed to receive deliveries around the clock under the State Environmental Planning Policy (COVID-19 Response), overriding any local planning restrictions that may limit the frequency of truck deliveries.
Since March, the NSW government has issued eight Ministerial orders under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, including:
- Extended retail trading, delivery and waste removal hours,
- Extended home business operating hours,
- Flexible conditions for takeaway food and beverage facilities, food trucks and ‘dark kitchens’,
- Temporary workers’ accommodation adjacent to Bayswater and Liddell power stations,
- Flexible operating hours for construction sites on weekends and public holidays,
- Temporary pop up cycleways within the City of Sydney, and
- Temporary vehicle sanitisation stations for taxis, Ubers and transport vehicles.
More information can be found here: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Policy-and-Legislation/COVID19-response
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