eople in NSW can cop fines or jail time if they go out under strict new measures announced last night, but there are 16 reasonable excuses according to the law.
Anyone in NSW who leaves their house without a “reasonable excuse” can now cop six months in jail or an $11,000 fine under strict new measures announced last night.
There are 16 “excuses” for leaving home in total, including attending weddings (of five people or less) and funerals (of 10 people or less), moving house, donating blood, legal obligations and accessing public services such as Centrelink.
The NSW Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement Order 2020) makes it unlawful to leave your place of residence unless it’s for an essential purpose – obtaining groceries, exercising, medical or compassionate care, and working or studying that cannot be done from home.
Other states and territories have released their acceptable reasons for leaving the house, which can excuse people from hefty fines. Queensland’s list includes attending a court date, and the ACT and Victoria appears to have the strictest measures, with only four and five acceptable excuses.
Around Australia, gatherings of more than two people are banned in public places, unless they are members of the same household or it’s an essential work or study-related gathering, and most states and territories are enforcing this with fines.
In NSW, under the Public Health Act, individuals face fines of up to $11,000 or can be sent to prison for six months – or both. They can also be fined another $5500 for each day the offence continues.
Corporations that fail to comply are liable for a $55,000 initial fine and $27,500 for each day the offence continues.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian this morning stressed people should stay inside.
“Do not leave your home unless you absolutely have to,” she said.
“Do not gather more than two people outside or inside your home apart from your family and make sure you take every social distancing precautions when you’re out and about.
“The number of cases acquired through community transmission is increasing.
“It is really important for us, at this stage of the virus, for us to maintain that level of control and containment as much as possible.”
There are 2032 cases in NSW now, with an outbreak among backpackers in Bondi.
“We want to see fewer people have to go to hospital. We want to see fewer people die,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“But we know, unfortunately, as has happened around the world, that the cases will continue to increase and the more we can slow it down, the better it is for all of us and the more lives that we will save.”
Ms Berejiklian said no one wanted to have to issue on-the-spot fines to people.
“But lives are at stake, and all of us have to accept that the world is different,” she said.
‘REASONABLE EXCUSES’ TO BE OUTSIDE IN NSW
1. Obtaining food or other goods or services for the personal needs of the household or
other household purposes (including for pets) and for vulnerable persons
2. Travelling for the purposes of work if the person cannot work from the person’s place of residence
3. Travelling for the purposes of attending childcare (including picking up or dropping another person at childcare)
4. Travelling for the purposes of facilitating attendance at a school or other educational institution if the person attending the school or institution cannot learn from the person’s place of residence
5. Exercising
6. Obtaining medical care or supplies or health supplies or fulfilling carer’s responsibilities
7. Attending a wedding or a funeral
8. Moving to a new place of residence (including a business moving to new premises) or between different places of residence of the person or inspecting a potential new place of residence
9. Providing care or assistance (including personal care) to a vulnerable person or providing emergency assistance
10. Donating blood
11. Undertaking any legal obligations
12. Accessing public services (whether provided by Government, a private provider or a non-Government organisation), including social services, employment services, domestic violence services, mental health services, and services provided to victims (including as victims of crime)
13. For children who do not live in the same household as their parents or siblings or one of their parents or siblings — continuing existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children or siblings
14. For a person who is a priest, minister of religion or member of a religious order going to the person’s place of worship or providing pastoral care to another person
15. Avoiding injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm
16. For emergencies or compassionate reasons.
There are only limited reasons people can go out.Source:News Corp Australia
QUEENSLAND
Other states have their own rules in place.
In Queensland there’s eight essential reasons people are allowed to leave. These are:
1. Obtaining food or other essential goods or services
2. Obtaining medical treatment or other healthcare services
3. Engaging in physical exercise, either alone or in the company of no more than one other person; or in the company of a family group who ordinarily live in the same household
4. Performing work on behalf of an employer that is engaged in essential business, activity or undertaking, and the work to be performed is of a nature that cannot reasonably be performed from the person’s principal place of residence
5. Visiting a terminally ill relative or to attend a funeral
6. Providing assistance, care or support to an immediate member of the person’s family
7. Attending any court of Australia or to comply with or give effect to orders of the court
8. Attending a childcare facility, school, university or other educational institution, to the extent care or instruction cannot reasonably be obtained in the person’s principal place of residence.
VICTORIA
In Victoria there’s only five reasons people can leave.
1. To obtain necessary goods or services
2. For care or other compassionate reasons
3. To attend work or education
4. For exercise.
5. For other reasons including an emergency, by law and if they’re moving.
TASMANIA
The island’s states reasons are much the same as all the others.
But there is more scope for exceptions, with families allowed to visit each other’s homes, couples able to stay at each other’s houses, and people who live alone allowed to have visitors.
This is Tasmania’s list of reasons:
1. Shopping for supplies
2. Undertaking personal exercise
3. Attending medical or healthcare appointments or for medical treatment
4. Seeking veterinary services
5. Providing social support or care to another person
6. Attending school or study, if unable to be done at home
7. Attending work, or volunteering, if unable to be done at home
8. Performing essential maintenance, or security inspections, of other premises owned or occupied, by the person.
9. Attending another location if the person has a reasonable excuse, in the opinion of the director of public health.
ACT
In the Australian Capital Territory there are a few reasons people can leave.
Police are first issuing warnings if people break the rules. You are allowed to leave if you are:
1. Shopping for what you need – food and necessary supplies
2. Medical or health care needs, including compassionate requirements
3. Exercise in compliance with the public gathering requirements
4. Work and study if you can’t work or learn remotely
NT AND SA
These states aren’t enforcing the two person gathering rules and have a 10 person limit.
Social distancing rules must still be followed.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The state isn’t fining people for leaving home for non-essential reasons but they are still being asked to stay home.
