COVID-19 Updates

The Lockdown for Lismore, Ballina, Byron and Richmond Valley has been extended to 5pm on Saturday, 21 August. It will NOT be lifted as planned at 12.01am on Tuesday.

The Government has also announced a 7 day lockdown for ALL of regional NSW to try to stop the spread of the virus further into the regions.

Thanks to everyone in our community who are following the lockdown rules and COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Testing numbers have been high in the Northern Rivers and today we saw another day with no new positive cases.

Please wear your masks, use the QR codes and keep getting tested at the mildest symptoms.

You can find locations for testing by clicking the link below.

Stay safe and be kind to each other.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/clinics

NSW Health have released new local COVID-19 Exposure Sites today.

If you were at any of the locations at the same time as a confirmed COVID-19 case, you are a CLOSE CONTACT.

This means you must immediately get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result of the test.

If you have been close to someone since they were exposed to COVID-19, you are a SECONDARY CONTACT. This includes anyone who:

• lives in the same home as a close contact of a person with COVID-19
• has visited the home of a close contact of a person with COVID-19
• has been visited in their home by a close contact of a person with COVID-19
• has shared a confined space (such as a car) with a friend who is a close contact of a person with COVID-19

This means you must immediately get tested regardless of symptoms, separate yourself from the close contact and self-isolate until you both receive a negative result.

If you cannot completely self-isolate away from the person who is the close contact, you will need to isolate with them for 14 days.

For further information about isolation go to www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/self-isolation#secondary-close-contacts

The current list of Exposure Sites are:

• Harvest, Newrybar on Sunday, 1 August between 7.30am and 7.45am
• Foodworks Bangalow, Bangalow on Monday, 2 August between 9.45am and 11.15am
• Byron Massage Clinic, Byron Bay on Monday, 2 August between 10sm and 11am
• Westpac ATM, Johnston St Bryon Bay on Tuesday, 3 August between 1.30pm and 1.45pm
• Success Thai Food, Byron Bay on Tuesday, 3 August from 1.15pm to 1.45pm
• Woolworths, Byron Bay on Wednesday 4, August from 2.30pm to 4pm
• Byron Massage Clinic, Byron Bay on Wednesday, 4 August from 10.45am to 12pm
• Bangalow Pharmacy, Bangalow on Thursday, 5 August and Friday 6 August, both between 11am and 11.30am
• Woolworths Byron Bay, Byron Bay on Wednesday, 4 August between 2.30pm and 4pm
• Butcher Baker Café, Bangalow on Thursday, 5 August between 11.15am and 11.45am
• Sparrow Café, Bangalow on Thursday, 5 August between 6.45am and 7.15am
• Bangalow Pharmacy, Bangalow on Friday, 6 August between 11am and 11.30am
• Izakaya Gallery, Byron Bay on Friday, 6 August between 5.3pm and 6pm
• Success Thai Foods, Byron Bay on Friday, 6 August between 4.45pm and 5.15pm
• Harvest Café, Newrybar on Saturday, 7 August between 9.15am and 10.15am
• Woolworths, Byron Bay on Saturday, 7 August between 12.45pm and 1.45pm
• ZAZA Kebabs, Byron Bay on Saturday, 7 August between 12pm and 12.30pm
• Ampol Service Station, Bryon Bay on Saturday, 7 August between 11.45pm and 12.15pm
• OZIGO Carwash, Byron Bay on Saturday, 7 August between 11.30am and 12pm
• Japonaise Kitchen, Byron Bay on Saturday, 7 August between 4.30pm and 5pm
• Byron Massage, Lawson Street, Byron Bay on Monday, 2 August between 10am and 11am

  Byron Massage, Lawson Street, Byron Bay on Wednesday, 4 August between 10.45am and 12pm

We will update the community when NSW Health releases any new Exposure Sites.

To keep up to date with Exposure Sites, please go to https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/nsw-covid-19-case-locations/case-locations

Residents and businesses are asked to follow the NSW Health Restrictions at all times. Please stay at home unless you have an essential reason to leave home.

To comply with these restrictions, Council has closed the Recycling & Recovery facility to all non-essential customers. Generally, this means facilities are closed to the public who have access to kerbside collection services.

We have now introduced an electronic booking form to allow essential customers to drop off their waste at Council’s Wyrallah Road facility. This will be a cashless transaction-based service. Essential customers are those residents and businesses that do not have kerbside collection services.

Essential customers can access the form here.

It is essential that those dropping off their waste use the booking form to ensure social distancing and that Council can comply with its COVID-safe plan and legal obligations. If Council is unable to manage attendance at the facility via the booking system to meet its obligations, the facility will need to be closed.

The NSW Health Restrictions will apply at all times. Customers unable to comply with these restrictions will not be permitted access to site. These are necessary measures to ensure the safety of council staff and all members of our community.

Some of the usual sorting arrangements within the Lismore Recycling and Resource Recovery Facility have been temporarily suspended and customers without kerbside collection will need to unload their own vehicles.

All of us living and working in the Lismore Local Government Area must follow the same restrictions as Greater Sydney and stay at home unless we have an essential reason to leave.

You can find more information about the lockdown rules and how it affects your business here

As an employer, we must require an employee to work from home if reasonably able to do so. Businesses that do not comply could face a $10,000 fine.

If the lockdown impacts your business, we have a guide to State and Federal government support available here

If you are interested in attending an upcoming NSW Government business support webinar on Wednesday, 11 August 2021, at 3pm. Please register here

It’s more important than ever that as a community, we do the right thing when it comes to obeying the rules and get vaccinated in line with government guidelines when possible.

Residents and businesses are asked to follow the NSW Health Restrictions at all times. Please stay at home unless you have an essential reason to leave home.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/affected-regions

To comply with the restrictions, the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Facility and Nimbin Transfer Station are both now closed to the public. Council is also implementing measures to ensure all residents and businesses have access to contactless waste disposal services.

Residents and businesses who already have a kerbside waste collection service are requested to make use of this service, and to not travel to or attend Council’s waste facilities to dispose of waste.

Residents and businesses who do not have a kerbside waste collection service will have access to a contactless waste drop off service at the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Facility. This will be a cashless transaction-based service and is expected to be available from 11 August 2021. Information on access to the facility will be updated by Council daily.

An electronic booking system is being re-introduced to ensure social distancing requirements can be maintained once the facility is reopened to essential public access, and consider the possibility of the lock down being extended.

The NSW Health Restrictions will apply at all times. Customers unable to comply with these restrictions will not be permitted access to site. This is a necessary measure to ensure safety of council staff and all members of our community.

Some of the usual sorting arrangements within the Lismore Recycling and Resource Recovery Facility have been temporarily suspended and customers without kerbside collection will need to unload their own vehicles.

Residents and businesses without existing waste collections services may also wish to consider an interim collections service by engaging a waste collections business locally.

The Nimbin Transfer Station will remain closed until further notice.

We will keep you updated via Facebook and Council’s websites.

In line with NSW Government-mandated lockdown across the Northern Rivers, Lismore City Council has made significant changes to its service delivery.

Residents can be assured that the following essential services will continue unaffected:

• water supply
• sewerage
• waste collection
• public safety measures.

The following facilities and services are CLOSED for the duration of the lockdown:

• The Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre in Wyrallah Road. Nimbin Transfer Station
• The Revolve Shop and CDS Bulk Drop Off
• The Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre
• The Lismore Regional Gallery
• Lismore City Hall
• Council depots, such as at Brunswick Street and Wyrallah Road, are closed to public access
• All libraries in the affected Local Government Areas. However, the eLibrary is open, providing access to reading materials in downloadable digital formats from the RTRL website www.rtrl.nsw.gov.au or the Richmond Tweed Library app
• The Corporate Centre in Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah. Some Council staff will continue to work from the building and people can continue to phone Council. Please use our on-line services at www.lismore.nsw.gov.au

Council activities that will continue to operate are:

• Council parks and open spaces remain open, however, all play equipment, barbecues, skateparks, exercise equipment and similar are closed and cannot be used.
• Roadworks, with the works program continuing, subject to resources
• The Lismore Airport, with a reduced number of flights
• The Blakebrook Quarry
• Lismore Cemetery and Crematorium, with some new health protocols in place
• Internal departments such as finance, planning and development, IT and HR

Members of the public are reminded they can go online to pay rates and water bills, order and pay for conveyancing certificates and even pay invoices such as those due for development applications.

People who cannot access online services should phone the Contact Centre on 6625 0500.

Council staff are being redeployed where necessary and/or shared across the region. As part of business continuity many staff have been set up to work from home so that services can continue.

Council is committed to maintaining services wherever possible during this difficult time. The priority is the health and safety of the Lismore community and Council employees. Council thanks members of the public for their patience and understanding.

For further information on the lockdown, go to https://nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/

For updates on Council services, follow Council’s Facebook page or go to www.lismore.nsw.gov.au