The City of Melbourne will temporarily adjust the management of construction activity in the municipality in a bid to fast-track construction projects, save jobs and help limit the economic impact of COVID-19.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the temporary measures will allow some extensions of working hours on building sites for commercial, large residential and mixed-use developments.
"The changes will allow the construction industry to work safely and remain viable during these challenging times but they will not allow construction activity around the clock," the Lord Mayor said.
"We understand these changes may affect residents with a potential increase in noise, however we are attempting to strike a balance between the needs of residents and the need to keep people in jobs. We recognise these extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."
"The necessary health and safety measures, such as social distancing are impacting the productivity of the construction industry. We're responding by adjusting the hours available for construction work on a case-by-case basis."
"We are doing our best to support industry and residents during these uncertain and stressful times."
Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood said the temporary arrangements will be reviewed on a monthly basis to ensure the needs of both the construction industry and local residents are met.
"We're working to balance the need to save jobs in the construction sector by allowing different ways of working and still protecting public safety and amenity," the Deputy Lord Mayor said.
"I want to stress that these changes are temporary."
In response to COVID-19, Federal and State Governments have acknowledged the construction industry as an essential service and determined that it should remain in operation for the time being.
Construction sites are subject to increased health and safety precautions including limiting the number of workers on site, adhering to social distancing requirements, following personal hygiene guidelines and regular cleaning of equipment.
The city's Local Law currently allows for construction activity to occur between the hours of 7am and 7pm on weekdays and between 8am and 3pm on Saturdays. Approval is required from Council to work outside these standard hours.
Working on a case-by-case basis, the City of Melbourne proposes to allow an extra hour of work each morning and evening on weekdays. Three hours of extra work will be allowed on Saturdays and six hours on of limited activity on Sunday.
In addition, finishing trades that do not have a significant impact on residential amenity (such as painting and plastering) will be extended until 10pm.
"More officers will be out monitoring building sites to ensure compliance with the regulations. We reserve the right to issue fines or revoke construction permits for sites that don't follow the rules outlined in their construction permit," the Deputy Lord Mayor said.
"In turn, we seek commitment from the industry to ensure that everything possible will be done to preserve residential amenity and protect workers."
