Update from Screen NSW regarding filming restrictions (updated 15 August 2021)

To minimise movement and protect the community from the evolving COVID-19 situation, stay at home orders apply to all of Regional NSW from 5pm, Saturday 14 August, until 12.01pm, Sunday 22 August 2021. This means the whole of NSW will be under stay at home restrictions.

The NSW Government is asking everyone to minimise travel at this time. The new order replaces existing rules in the regions and means that everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. Other restrictions include:

·         All hospitality venues must be closed to the public, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway.

·         Critical retail shops such as supermarkets may remain open to the public. Other retail shops must be closed except for ‘click and collect’ or home delivery services.

·         Service stations, banks, post offices, laundromats and drycleaners and other non-retail premises can remain open.

·         Anyone who leaves their home must always carry a mask. Masks must be worn in all indoor areas of non-residential premises, and when outside near shops or when queuing for goods or services.

·         There will be a one-day ‘grace period’ for planned weddings and funerals in the regional areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown. Those events may go ahead until 12:01am on Monday 16 August.

Full details of the additional restrictions are available at nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules.

A reasonable excuse to leave home is if you need to

  • obtain food or other goods and services locally
  • leave home to go to work if
    • you cannot reasonably work from home  and
    • the business is allowed to be open
  • leave home for education if it is not possible to do it at home
  • exercise and take outdoor recreation in the local government area you live in or 10km from your home (5km from Monday, 16 August 2021)
  • go out for medical or caring reasons, including obtaining a COVID-19 vaccination.

See the list of other reasonable excuses.

Reduction to the 10km rule

From 12.01am Monday, August 16, shopping, exercise and outdoor recreation is to be done in a person’s local government area (LGA) or, if outside their LGA, within five kilometres of home. LGAs of concern must still exercise and shop within five kilometres from home only. 

Increased penalties

From the beginning of Monday 16 August, there will be increased fines for Public Health Order breaches.

·         $5,000 on the spot fine for breaching self-isolation rules

·         $5,000 on the spot fine for lying on a permit application (already a criminal offence)

·         $5,000 on the spot fine for lying to a contact tracer (already a criminal offence)

·         $3,000 on the spot fine for breaching the two-person public gathering rule

·         $3,000 on the spot fine for breaching rules around entry into regional NSW for authorised work, inspecting real estate and travelling to your second home.

Permits for regional travel

From the beginning of Saturday 21 August, the following persons will require a permit to leave Greater Sydney and enter regional NSW:

·         authorised workers from LGAs of concern

·         any person inspecting real estate in the regions. This is now only permitted if you genuinely need a home to live in (no investment properties)

·         travelling to your second home. This is now only permitted if you are using the home for work accommodation, or if the home requires urgent maintenance and repairs. If so, only one person may travel there.

Changes for local government areas of concern 

In Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and some suburbs of Penrith:

·         From 12.01am, Monday, 16 August, you will not be permitted to leave your home for outdoor recreation. Exercise and supervision of children allowed is permitted.

·         From 12.01am, Saturday, 21 August: People who live alone must now register their nominated “singles bubble” visitor. Registration will be made available on nsw.gov.au.

What does this mean for the screen production sector (including post-production)?

Currently, as long as you are working within the Public Health Orders and taking all the COVID-safe measures you can, advice from NSW Health is that screen production may continue. However, we ask that schedules are reviewed and anything that can be postponed while the stay at home Order is in place, is postponed. Where production must continue, it should continue with the utmost caution and use only essential personnel. Please limit the numbers of people allowed on set or on-site, and ensure everyone is wearing masks, indoors or outdoors when not on camera, and implement stringent COVID-plans.  Please monitor everyone daily, and anyone with even the mildest symptoms should not attend work, but should be immediately tested.

At this time, staff who are residents of Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and some suburbs of Penrith are not permitted to leave these LGAs for work.

For regular updates and advice:

·         COVID-19 | NSW Government 

·         NSW case locations

·         COVID-19 Support Package 

·         NSW schools: COVID-19 advice for families

·         Health advice regarding vaccinations.

Service NSW and support for businesses and individuals

Screen NSW recognises that this is a very challenging time for everyone, and we thank you for your patience and responsiveness.

Many thanks

Grainne

Grainne Brunsdon | Head, Screen NSW