Kiama MP Gareth Ward has called for Greater Sydney tradespeople to "stay the hell away from the Shoalhaven".
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Mr Ward has criticised a "loophole" in NSW COVID health orders that allows tradespeople to leave lockdowned areas like Greater Sydney and travel to regional areas to carry out work.
"This is just flushing people, who should be staying at home, into our community," an exasperated Mr Ward said.
"Sydney people should stay in Sydney and stay the hell away from the Shoalhaven".
He said he had received several complaints from local residents about tradespeople coming from Sydney because "bizarrely the rules allows for this".
"Simply the rules allow for people who can't do work from home to go and undertake that work if directed by their employer," Mr Ward said.
This is just flushing people, who should be staying at home, into our community.
- Gareth Ward
"The ban on construction is only limited to the local government areas named in the health orders, such as Greater Sydney, the Central Coast and Wollongong.
"That means people in those areas can walk through a loophole and undertake construction work in regional NSW.
"If we're trying to control the spread of the virus by limiting movement, shifting people in Sydney to construction jobs in regional NSW is utter madness.
"As far as I'm concerned Sydney people should stay in Sydney and stay the hell away from the Shoalhaven."
Mr Ward said most of the complaints he received revolved around renovations, refurbishments or home building projects..
"If people are coming more then 50km from outside the affected LGA for work they have to have a COVID test every seven days," he said but really they "should stay at home".
Mr Ward said he had telephoned the Health Minister's office to raise his concerns,
"I understand these orders are complex and they rely on people exercising some old fashioned common sense, unfortunately common sense ain't all that common," he said.
Mr Ward said he wasn't aware if any construction workers were travelling to the Shoalhaven and working on the new $342 million Nowra bridge project.
"My understanding is a large number of workers on that site are locals and I understand that the majority of workers who might be from outside the area are staying local anyway," he said.
"I understand they don't go home on weekends."
Transport for NSW also has a regular COVID testing regime for workers on site.
Read our full COVID coverage here.
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