Business Support

From 18 May, restrictions have been further relaxed as part of the COVID-19 WA roadmap to help get Western Australians back to work safely and begin the process of restarting the State’s economy. 

See WA State website for full details: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-wa-roadmap

Every Western Australian needs to play their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This means following good hygiene habits and social distancing.

• Stay home if you're sick. Do not go to work or school.
• Keep 1.5 metres away from others.
• Don't make unnecessary physical contact with others. Avoid physical greetings, such as handshakes, hugs and kisses.
• Use tap and pay instead of cash.
• Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitiser.
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Use a flexed elbow or a tissue; if you use a tissue, dispose of it immediately and appropriately.

For more information see Australian Government advice for social distancing.

These restrictions are in place from 18 May, as part of the COVID-19 WA roadmap.

Social distancing, good hygiene and the 4 square metre rule apply to all activities.

Public gatherings

• indoor and outdoor non-work gatherings of up to 20 people
• weddings and funerals up to 20 people inside or 30 outside.

Dining out

• cafés and restaurants with meal service, including within pubs, bars, clubs, hotels and casino
• up to 20 patrons.

Return to work

Western Australians are encouraged to return to work, unless they are unwell or vulnerable.

Regional travel

Restrictions relaxed, with travel allowed:

• between South West, Great Southern, Wheatbelt and Perth-Peel regions
• between Mid-West, Gascoyne and Pilbara regions (excluding the biosecurity zone)
• within Goldfields-Esperance region (excluding the biosecurity zone)
• within Kimberley Local Government areas (the Commonwealth’s biosecurity zone remains in place).

Travel exemptions are still required to enter WA and travel between the 4 regions.

Fitness and recreation

• non-contact community sports up to 20 participants
• outdoor or indoor fitness classes with no shared equipment, up to 20 participants
• public pools (1 indoor and 1 outdoor) permitted to open under strict rules and up to 20 patrons per pool.

Community facilities

• places of worship, community facilities and libraries permitted to reopen
• up to 20 patrons.

Advice for business

Businesses across Western Australia need to comply with conditions outlined in the COVID Safety Guidelines and prepare a COVID Safety Plan before they re-open, to protect staff and customers.

More information

For more information on Phase 2 easing of restrictions please read WA Government's frequently asked questions.

 

Elite athletes, part of the Western Australian Institute of Sport, can resume training as part of a staged return to operations following an exemption to the WA State of Emergency Closure and Restrictions Directions.  Stage 1 will cover selected elite athletes across of range of competition selection trials for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Training will take place at HBF Stadium, WA Athletics Stadium, WAIS High Performance Service Centre, Swan River and Fremantle waters. All training will be strictly controlled and conducted within all COVID-19 WA Government restrictions and guidelines with emphasis placed on health and hygiene of all athletes and staff. 

For more information see Closure and Restriction (Elite athlete training) Modifications Directions.

From Friday, 1 May, campgrounds within national parks, reserves and State forests opened for bookings again, following the cautious easing of some restrictions. Regional travel restrictions still apply, meaning campers can only camp within their regional boundaries. The change applies to most of the 268 campgrounds managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, including huts along the Bibbulmun Track and Munda Biddi trail. Key attractions, tours and facilities such as the Tree Top Walk and Monkey Mia experience remain closed for now. Remote national parks in the Kimberley will also remain closed until changes are made to Kimberley travel restrictions. From Friday 1 May, campground online bookings can be made:

• for stays of up to 2 weeks at a time
• up to 2 weeks ahead of your arrival date.

Non-bookable campgrounds will continue to operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Campers using shared campground facilities should continue to practise social distancing, good hygiene and the 4 square metres per person rule. Picnic and recreational areas at dams managed by Water Corporation remain closed.

The Closure and Restriction (Limit the Spread) Directions, issued under the Emergency Management Act 2005, specifies a range of “prohibited gatherings” “affected places” and “prohibited activities” that are either restricted from operating, limits their activity or provides an exemption.

If a type of “affected place” or “prohibited activity” is not specifically listed in a Direction, then it can continue to operate as long as there is compliance with social distancing requirements.

A business owner/operator needs to consider the nature of their services and assess whether their services or premises are captured by the Directions.

Food and drink

Food and drink prohibited activities and venues
Business, premises or place	Exceptions
Licensed venues (pubs, bars, taverns, restaurants, pop-up events, cellar doors, karaoke or special facility)	Takeaway permitted from: bottle shops cellar doors existing licensed venues with an approved State of Emergency occasional liquor licence to allow the sale of liquor with a takeaway or delivered meal.
Cafés	Takeaway service and home delivery. Cafés or canteens at hospitals, care homes or schools; prison and military canteens; services providing food or drink to the homeless, and workplace canteens can provide takeaway.
Food courts	Delivery and takeaway is allowed.
Food vans	Food vans can provide takeaway food options as long as they have approval to operate from specific locations from the relevant local government.
Roadhouses and provision of food and drink to commercial or heavy vehicle drivers	A roadhouse may provide a space for a truck driver to sit, rest and consume a meal/drink as long as compliance with the ‘Exemption for heavy vehicle drivers to safely manage fatigue’ is adhered to. The same applies for service to the homeless. For all other patrons, the roadhouse may only provide take-away or meal delivery services.

Retail

Retail prohibited activities and venues
Business, premises or place	Exceptions
Auction houses	None
Real estate auctions	Private appointments only
Home opens and display homes	With appropriate record keeping, hygiene practices, compliance with the 10-person limit and social distancing rules observed.
Outdoor and indoor markets will be a decision for each state and territory	Fresh food markets will continue to operate in WA

Beauty and personal care services

Beauty and personal care services prohibited activities and venues
Business, premises or place	Exceptions
Beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons, tattoo parlours	None
Spas and massage parlours	None
Chinese and alternative medicine/therapies	There are no restrictions on the practice of alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, as long as such practices do not operate from an affected place e.g. a wellness centre or beauty parlour.
Float centres	None
Remedial massage	There are no restrictions on the provision of remedial massage therapy, as long as such treatment is not provided from an "affected place" e.g. a massage parlour or a gym.

Entertainment venues

Entertainment venues prohibited activities
Business, premises or place	Exceptions
Cinemas, nightclubs	None
Casinos, gaming or gambling venues	A number of TAB outlets are open as 'Deposit and Withdrawal Centres' for limited hours
Adult entertainment venues	None
Concert venues, theatre, arenas, auditoriums, stadiums	Live streaming of a performance by a small group could be permissible with social distancing observed.
Amusement parks and arcades	None
Play centres (indoor and outdoor)	None

Leisure and recreation

Leisure and recreation prohibited activities and venues
Business, premises or place	Exceptions
Dance studios	Outdoor dance classes are permitted as long as the maximum number of people attending the class does not exceed 10 people, including the instructor. Sharing equipment is prohibited and all attendees must have 4 square metres of space per person.
Community and recreation centres	Community centres/facilities can continue to be used for essential public services.
Health clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre and spin facilities, saunas, bathhouses and wellness centres	Private residences and outdoor permitted with restrictions. See FAQ for more detail.
Boot camps, personal training operating outside and inside	Outside event limited to groups of up to 10 people, with social distancing rules observed.
Social sporting-based activities	If the sporting activity is non-contact, and involves 10 people or less, then you can participate in that sporting activity. This includes non-contact training for sports that would ordinarily involve contact, such as basketball, football, soccer and netball. Importantly, playing the contact sport itself remains a prohibited sporting activity.
Swimming pools	Residential backyard and residential strata swimming pools are exempt from closure. Compliance with the 10-person limit and social distancing rules observed.
Golf courses	Golf courses can continue to remain open as long as there is strict compliance with social distancing requirements.
Tennis	Outdoor tennis courts can continue to remain open as long as there is strict compliance with social distancing requirements.
Non-contact recreational activities (private picnics in the park, fishing, boating, hiking and camping)	Compliance with the 10-person limit and social distancing rules observed. Campgrounds within national parks, reserves and State forests are open for bookings.

Non-residential institutions

Non-residential institutions prohibited activities and venues
Business, premises or place	Exceptions
Galleries, museums, national institutions and historic sites	None
Libraries and youth centres	A library building must be closed to prevent the public from entering, the delivery or collection of books or other media is permitted.
Local government non-essential facilities and services (such as pools)	Pool use for essential medical/allied health requirements. Community pools in remote Aboriginal communities.
Community facilities (such as community halls, clubs, RSLs, PCYCs)	Community centres/facilities can continue to be used for essential public services.
Places of worship, weddings and funerals	Religious services in places of worship can still be streamed online to the community. Weddings attended by up to 10 people and where the 1 person per 4 square meters of floor space rule applies. Funerals attended by a maximum of 10 people and where the 1 person per 4 square metre of floor space rule applies. You can apply for approval for more than 10 people to attend a funeral.
Mine site facilities (pools, mess halls, gyms)	Please visit Implementation Plan for COVID-19 Framework in the Resources Sector (PDF 284KB) for more information.

 

Recreational fishers who have crayfish pots set in waters off Rottnest Island will be granted restricted access to the area's exclusion zone to collect their equipment, under supervision from Rottnest Island Authority rangers.

Disembarking on the island itself is strictly forbidden, and recreational fishers must register with Rottnest Island Authority rangers by contacting +61 (0)8 9372 9788 or rangers@rottnestisland.com. Access for recreational fishers will be dependent on weather conditions and ranger availability. Fishers are permitted to access the exclusion zone for the purpose of retrieving their equipment only — with no further fishing or other recreational activity allowed. Rottnest Island and its surrounding waters have been off limits to the public since 25 March, with the island being used as part of the State's response to COVID-19.

Protecting the elderly is a priority. Visits to aged care facilities are limited to: 

• a short duration
• one care and support visit per day, with a maximum of two visitors at a time
• emergency management, law enforcement or otherwise responding to an emergency (for example a police officer, fire fighter or ambulance officer)
• providing goods or services for the effective operation of the facility.

You should not enter the facility if you have:

• returned from overseas in the last 14 days
• been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• a fever or symptoms of acute respiratory infection (e.g. cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath)
• not had an up-to-date influenza vaccination.

For further information see Visitors to Residential Aged Care Facilities Directions No 2.

Nationally consistent provisions have been implemented to restrict the number of people attending a funeral to no more than 10 people. These provisions were amended on 7 April 2020. Under the provisions:

• No more than 10 people can attend a funeral, unless otherwise approved.
• People who are needed to conduct the funeral, such as the funeral director and the funeral celebrant, are not included in the 10-person limit.
• You can apply for approval to allow more than 10 people to attend a funeral.
• There must be at least 4 square metres of space for each person at the funeral, including those conducting the funeral.

Social distancing requirements must still be observed at any funeral.

Find out more about restrictions on the number of people at funerals.

Guide for funerals and Sorry Business

To help manage the impact of large gathering restrictions on Aboriginal people, the WA Department of Health has also released a Guide for Funerals and Sorry Business during the coronavirus pandemic (PDF, 965kb)

 

Restrictions on regional travel and entry into WA are in place to assist in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

For more information visit COVID-19: Advice on travelling to and around Western Australia.

COVID-19 testing

You may be tested if you:

• present with a fever of 38°C or above
• have a history of a fever in the last few days
  or
• have an acute respiratory infection, e.g. shortness of breath, cough, sore throat etc.

There are COVID Clinics operating at:

• hospital sites across the metropolitan area
• 12 private pathology collection centres across the metropolitan area (GP referral required)
• Bunbury Health Campus
• Broome Hospital
• Emergency Departments in regional and metropolitan WA

COVID-19 testing clinics locations

COVIDSafe app 

The WA Government is encouraging residents to download the Australian Government’s COVIDSafe app.

At least 40% of Australians need to use the app to make it functionally effective. Downloading the app is voluntary, but it is highly recommended by the Chief Medical Officer. It will help keep our community safe and ensure we can get back to normal as quickly as possible. Reasons to use the app:

• It makes contact tracing faster and more thorough, which is vitally important in the fight against COVID-19.
• It will notify you if you’ve been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 (and is also using the app).
• It will allow health officials to contact you if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

All information is stored locally on your phone and any other access or use of the data will be a criminal offence. Once the pandemic is over and the app is no longer needed, the app and all its data will be deleted permanently.

Get vaccinated for influenza

There is no vaccination for COVID-19, but there is for influenza. It is more important than ever to be vaccinated this year — especially if the influenza season overlaps with COVID-19 cases. $400,000 has been set aside for free influenza vaccinations for primary school aged children. A ‘drive through’ influenza clinic will be established in late May 2020 for some at-risk community members. Read more about protecting yourself and others from influenza.

Your wellbeing

If you are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety or stress due to the pandemic, you can access resources and more information at the Think Mental Health website.

Hospitals

Visiting hours at Western Australian public hospitals have been tightened to limit the flow of people through hospitals, better protecting patients and staff.

• Children under 16 are not able to visit patients.
• Hospital visiting hours are limited to 2 hours a day – one in the morning and one in the evening.
• All adult patients, including those in maternity wards, are restricted to 2 visitors per day; the same 2 visitors may visit morning and evening.
• Visitors to paediatric patients must be the same family members each day.
• No visitors are allowed to see confirmed COVID-19 adult inpatients or COVID-19 inpatients under investigation.

Elective surgery

Western Australian public and private hospitals are currently operating at a quarter of their usual elective surgery activity.  Category 1 surgeries have been maintained throughout the COVID-19 coronavirus response and will continue to proceed as normal.  Category 2 patients will be prioritised, in particular those cases that were previously cancelled during the scale back of elective surgery in March and April. Patients are asked not to contact hospitals, as they will be contacted directly by the relevant hospital.  The impact of elective surgery will be closely monitored and reviewed to ensure hospitals are able to meet demand due to any potential increase in COVID-19 cases in the coming months. 

Support for people with a disability

If you receive services from a disability provider, contact your provider if you require additional support as a result of COVID-19. If you are connected to the Department of Communities, call (08) 6167 8000 or 1800 998 214 for assistance. If you are connected to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), call 1800 800 110. If you have been instructed to self-isolate as a result of COVID-19 and need assistance with accommodation, food or other essential items, you can call the Disaster Response Hotline on 1800 032 965. An essential shopping and delivery service is also available. See information under Cahoots Connects for more.

Cahoots Connects

From 20 April, an essential shopping and delivery service called Cahoots Connects is available to support individuals isolated in their homes. The service will be provided by non-profit organisation Cahoots, in partnership with the Department of Communities, National Disability Services, suppliers and retail partners, including supermarkets and pharmacies. For more information visit the Cahoots website or call 1300 103 880.

 

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Measures have been introduced to support NDIS participants and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

• extending NDIS plans
• proactive outreach to high risk participants
• giving financial assistance to providers such as advance payments.

For more information visit the NDIS website.

Accessing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has published new information on how disability service providers can access PPE.

Encouraging positive choices during COVID-19

Western Australians are urged to make positive choices in a new Alcohol.Think Again education campaign. The WA Government has invested $330,000 into the campaign to help people reduce their risk of alcohol-related harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. nThe campaign provides practical tips for Western Australians to keep within low-risk drinking limits and reduce their risk of alcohol-related harm. This is particularly important throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and upcoming flu season, as alcohol consumption can weaken the immune system. The WA Government is also providing more support across WA to clinicians who do not specialise in alcohol and drug issues to assist their patients.

The new Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service is a dedicated phone line for health professionals and will be provided by the Mental Health Commission’s experienced addiction medicine specialists. For anyone concerned about their own or a loved one’s alcohol or drug use, the Alcohol and Drug Support Line is available 24 hours a day for information and support on 61 8 9442 5000 or 1800 198 024 for country callers.  For more information visit the Alcohol.Think Again website.

Family violence

The WA Government has enforced important laws to protect victims of family and domestic violence who are at an increased risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The changes include:

• allowing the court to impose a requirement that an offender be subject to electronic monitoring
• permitting a judicial officer to include electronic monitoring as a home detention bail condition
• improving access to restraining orders and enabling restraining order applications to be lodged online
• creating a separate offence for breach of a family violence restraining order
• increasing the penalty for breach of a family violence restraining order from $6000 to $10,000
• extending the limitation period for prosecuting breach of restraining order offences to two years
• allowing the Family Court and Children’s Court to issue interim restraining orders on an ex-parte basis, in the same way the Magistrates Court is permitted to do so.

New laws to protect family violence victims during COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronaviruses

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause illness in humans and animals. Human coronavirus illnesses are generally mild, such as the common cold.
However, some coronaviruses can cause severe diseases, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which was identified in 2002, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which was identified in 2012.

COVID-19

This is a new coronavirus that was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. It hasn’t previously been identified in humans. COVID-19 is closely related to SARS, and in the same family of viruses as MERS.

Symptoms

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough and/or shortness of breath, like the symptoms of the common cold. In severe cases, the virus can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress. From what we know now about COVID-19, the symptoms can occur between 2 and 14 days from exposure to the virus.

Transmission from person to person

COVID-19 can be spread from person to person. This can happen when a person comes into contact with the respiratory secretions of an infected person, for example, through coughing or sneezing. Spread of COVID-19 from person to person is usually between close contacts. Close contacts are those people who have been face-to-face with a person infected with the virus for at least 15 minutes, or have been in the same closed space for at least 2 hours with an infected person.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for COVID-19 and, in most cases, symptoms will resolve on their own.

Vaccine

There are no available vaccines for COVID-19 at this time.

The WA Government has introduced measures to provide relief to Western Australian families and small businesses, and help support the State’s economy to respond to COVID-19.

Households

• freeze on increases to all household tariffs, fees and charges effective 1 July 2020
• doubling of the Energy Assistance Payment in 2020-21 to $610, to provide additional support to vulnerable Western Australians
• no utility disconnections
• alternative tax payment arrangements
• assistance for Keystart customers experiencing hardship
• payments in response to COVID-19 won’t be included in eligibility assessments or rent calculations for social housing.

For more information see the support for households in response to COVID-19 fact sheet.

Residential tenants and landlords

The WA Government has also committed $30 million for grants of up to $2000 for residential tenants who have lost their job and are facing financial hardship. These one-off grants will be paid direct to landlords, on behalf of tenants experiencing financial hardship. They provide the equivalent of 4 weeks’ rent, capped at $2000. This is intended to provide an incentive for landlords to renegotiate rental agreements with tenants who have lost their job and are facing financial hardship. The residential rent relief grants will be administered through the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS), with the grants scheme available for 6 months from 29 March 2020. More information on eligibility criteria and how to apply for the residential relief grant. To qualify for these commercial and residential grants, landlords must agree not to seek to recover this rent relief from tenants at the end of the period.

Laws to provide support for tenants and landlords

A 6 month moratorium on residential tenancy evictions has now become law.  The laws implement the decision of the National Cabinet and are designed to prevent tenants from having to move out or being made homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Other elements of the laws include: 

• a ban on rent increases during the moratorium period 
• fixed-term tenancies automatically converting to periodical tenancies if they expire during the period, unless another fixed-term agreement is entered into 
• landlords will not have to carry out non-urgent repairs if they are experiencing financial hardship or are not able to access the premises due to restrictions on movement 
• tenants who experience COVID-19 related financial hardship and end a fixed-term tenancy prior to its end date will not incur break lease fees, but will still be liable for damage and rent arrears. 

For more information see the: 

• Moratorium on residential tenancy evictions becomes law in WA media statement 
• Consumer Protection advice for residential tenancies — COVID-19 response

Business and the economy Small businesses across Western Australia are the lifeblood of our communities, and right now they need your business to keep them going during this difficult time. For more information visit the How you can support small business page.

The first thing to do is to reach out and get in contact with us. We understand that these are difficult times.

The City offers an option to pay your rates in smaller amounts over a longer period via direct debit, on a weekly or fortnightly basis for those who are having trouble. This means a small amount of money comes out of your bank each week or fortnight, depending on what suits you best. Payments can commence to coincide  when you are paid or when you receive government assistance.

To take advantage of this Smarter Way to Pay, or for more details please contact the City Rates Department on (08) 9257 9999 or email us at rates@kalamunda.wa.gov.au.

Ratepayers who hold a full Concession Card ( Age Pension) are able to defer their rates. Please email the  team to discuss deferring your rates.

Additionally The State Government has announced a $607 million stimulus package to support WA households and small businesses in the wake of COVID-19. The package includes a freeze on increases to household fees and charges until at least 1 July 2021. 

This decision means that Western Australian households won't have to pay more for water in 2020-21 than they do now. If you are having difficulty paying your water or electricity please contact your provider to discuss payment options.

The City of Kalamunda has responded with the following measures now in place:

• The immediate suspension of the City’s debt collection process for outstanding rates until further notice;
• Consideration of hardship cases for debtors and creditor payment terms reduced from monthly to fortnightly to assist suppliers with their cash flow.
• Cancellation of all hall hire applications at no cost.

The City is also working to put a report to Council, with a Special Council Meeting to be held to consider further ways to assist ratepayers and the community manage over the coming months including but not limited to;

• Implementing a freeze on Council rates and charges;
• Suspension of lease and rental payments for a month to all City tenants leasing city-owned property (to be reviewed by 30 April 2020 and potentially extended);
• A full refund on all cancelled bookings at all City properties or facilities;
• Free and express treatment of small business Development Applications and Change of Land Use applications to help small businesses adapt to changing circumstances and food inspection fees etc. being cancelled for three months.

Outcomes regarding these suggested measures will be communicated to residents following Council assessment at a Special Council Meeting next month.

No workshops or drop-in sessions will be held at this time. Community engagement will continue online, where you can have your say on current projects at  engage.kalamunda.wa.gov.au

Our Ordinary Council Meeting will be held in the Council Chambers in Railway Road, Kalamunda.

The City is exploring the use of webinar software to ensure public participation can be maintained. 

All non-essential internal and external face-to-face meetings have been cancelled, with staff encouraging phone or online meetings as an alternative. 

The City is currently providing information and referrals for support for local businesses. 
View the City's business information here

• The City of Kalamunda launched a confidential, advisory support program to help local small businesses on Tuesday, 28 April 2020. Find out more here
• For information about COVID-19 and business continuity, check the Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s   micro-site
• For information about small businesses and COVID-19, check the Small Business Development Corporation’s online hub  
  

The State Government has also announced a $607 million stimulus package to support WA households and small businesses. This includes $114 million in measures to support Western Australian small and medium businesses.

Small and medium sized businesses affected by COVID-19 can apply to defer payment of 2019-20 payroll tax until July 21, 2020. More information is on the WA Government  website

The City will continue to provide regular updates in response to the evolving situation. Nothing has changed at this time.
All of our normal waste services including bin pick up, skips and Walliston Transfer Station continue to operate as normal. However we wish customers coming to Walliston Transfer Station to follow directions of staff regarding entry and emptying their vehicles and trailers for maintaining hygiene requirements.

NOTE:  Walliston Transfer Station is limiting numbers of vehicles to seven (7) vehicles at a time. Four (4) vehicles in Green Waste and three (3) vehicles in General Waste. Residents may experience some delays and we ask all to be patient while these limitations are in place.

Yes. Our contractors have advised bin pick-up services specifically will continue. All of our normal waste services including bin pick up, skips and Walliston Transfer Station continue to operate as normal.

The City acknowledges that community members may have bookings for facilities such as halls, seminar rooms, our theatre and other City-owned facilities that can’t be used due to COVID-19 restrictions. The City is offering refunds for all cancellations due to the extenuating circumstances. Please contact us to arrange a cancellation where required.