The Business Council strongly supports the NSW government’s measures to speed up the safe return of construction workers from affected parts of Sydney to building sites through minimum vaccination requirements.

“We are fully behind the government’s efforts to keep workers and the community safe while helping restart greater levels of construction activity across the city,’’ Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“Once again, the NSW government has shown it is listening, pragmatic and working to get the state back on track as fast as possible.

“By getting vaccinated, construction workers from the eight affected local government areas have a choice to get on with their lives and livelihoods sooner.

“More than one-third of Sydney’s construction workforce has been caught up in the city’s tighter COVID restrictions.

“The decision to allow unoccupied construction sites across greater Sydney to operate at 50 per cent from Wednesday, along with the enhanced COVID safe measures, will help reduce delays to critical projects of all sizes.

“Construction workers from the affected LGAs will be added to the list of authorised workers allowing them back to work if they meet the vaccination conditions.

“The NSW construction sector is a vital part of the state’s economy with a ripple effect through the entire national economy.

“A super Sunday vaccination day for up to 8,000 construction workers next Sunday will help boost vaccination rates. We know that even the first shot is important to reduce COVID transmission.

“Vaccination remains our ticket out of this and we need everyone in the community to step up and get protected.

“Business is also working with the Therapeutic Goods Association on the need to fast-track the ability for businesses to conduct rapid antigen testing to keep their teams safe.

“We also need to refocus the conversation in the community from positive case numbers to vaccination rates, people who are sick and hospital capacity.’’