The NSW Nationals in the state government are working to keep rural and regional communities safe with a new permit system that will come into effect this weekend.
From 12.01am on Saturday, August 21, people travelling from Greater Sydney to regional NSW will need to have a permit.
Under the updated public health orders, there are strict limits on who can travel outside of Greater Sydney, in an effort to limit any spread of the Delta strain.
Permit applications will be made available on the Service NSW website: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au.
As always, NSW Health urges people to continue to be tested immediately with even the mildest of cold-like symptoms. There are more than 450 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest testing clinic, visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19.
For full details of what is and is not allowed, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules.
How it will work
Under the updated public health order, the following people traveling to regional NSW require a permit:
- anyone from Greater Sydney who needs to travel more than 50km from Greater Sydney for work – these people need to have had a COVID test in the previous seven days
- people travelling to a second home outside Greater Sydney – this is now only allowed 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)
- people inspecting a potential new residence that they will move into as soon as practicable (no investment properties)
- people who are permanently relocating to the regions
People are permitted to leave their homes to facilitate custody arrangements for
access to, and contact between, parents and children under the age of 18 who do not live in the same household.
Other changes
For the purposes of this public health order and permit, Greater Sydney will no longer include Shellharbour and the Central Coast. People travelling to Shellharbour and the Central Coast for the above reasons will require a permit to do so.
Due to ongoing concerns about community transmission in some regional areas,
stay-at-home orders in place for regional NSW have been extended until 12.01am on August 28, 2021, in line with orders for the Greater Sydney area.
Everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. They cannot have any visitors in their home from outside their household.
