Victoria’s lockdown will officially be lifted from 11.59pm on 27th July 2021

• Victorians will be able to leave their homes for any reason.
• Masks required everywhere indoors and outdoors (except private residences).
• Schools will reopen on Wednesday.
• No visitors to the home for the next fortnight.
• Public gatherings will be allowed with up to 10 people.
• Hospitality, retail, beauty, personal care, entertainment venues and community facilities will open in line with density limits.
• Businesses and venues can reopen with capacity and density limits of 1 person per 4sq m.
• If you can work from home, you should work from home. Office workers will be able to return up to 25 per cent or up to 10 people, whichever is greater.
• Funerals and weddings will have a cap of 50 mourners.

More information on the easing of Restrictions can be found here
Visit the Coronavirus website for further information regarding Victoria restrictions.

Covid Safe Plans
It is mandatory for every Victorian business with on-site operations to have a COVIDSafe Plan. To ensure compliance, random spot checks are occurring throughout Victoria.
 
Your COVIDSafe Plan must demonstrate:

• your actions to help prevent the introduction of COVID-19 to your workplace
• the type of face mask or personal protective equipment (PPE) required for your workforce
• how you will prepare for, and respond to, a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in your workplace
• how you will meet all the requirements set out by the Victorian Government. Some industries or workplaces are subject to additional industry obligations and have additional requirements of employers and employees.

Businesses must review and update their COVIDSafe Plans regularly, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes. Organisations with multiple worksites must complete a COVIDSafe Plan for each worksite.
 
Additional Industry Obligations
Horticulture operations using seasonal workers for seasonal horticultural work have additional industry obligations. They include:

• Creating workforce bubbles.
• Recording the roster of seasonal workers each day, including the work areas, work teams and breaks taken for each worker bubble.
• Providing training to seasonal workers that covers good hygiene practices and ensuring workers do not come to work when they are unwell.
• Ensuring staff have the facilities to practise good hygiene.

Operators must refer to the Workplace (Additional Industry Obligations) Directions for full details of their additional obligations.

Stonefruit Registrations for China, Taiwan and Thailand close at 5pm on Monday 19th July 2021.

• Applications are now open for farms and packhouses intending to export summerfruit to China, Taiwan and Thailand for the 2021–22 season.
• Summerfruit farm and packhouse managers wanting to export to China, Taiwan and Thailand can complete their application forms through the Summerfruit Australia export registration system by 5pm AEST, Monday 19 July 2021.
• All information in the application (for example, ABN numbers, contact details, accredited property maps and addresses) must be complete and correct or the application may not be accepted.
• Farms and packhouses will be subject to audits by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
• Crop monitor training and assessment for summerfruit is now available through the online eLearning hub.

Visit the Department of Ag, Water and the Environment website for more information.

From 11:59 pm on Thursday, 8 July 2021, if you live in Victoria: 

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• There are no limits on the distance you can travel.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors unless an exception applies, or you are:
  • at home
  • at work, if a member of the public isn’t present and you are in an area that members of the public can’t normally access (such as an office space or a factory)
  • a staff member at a school, childcare or early childhood service, and a member of the public isn’t present (apart from at reception, where masks are always required)
  • a student at school
• Face masks are recommended outdoors where you cannot maintain 1.5 metres from others.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, you should get tested for COVID-19.
• Check-in everywhere you visit using https://service.vic.gov.au/check-in">the Service Victoria QR code app, no matter how long you spend at that location.

Visit the Coronavirus website for further information regarding Victoria restrictions.

From 11:59 pm on Thursday, 24 June 2021, if you live in metropolitan Melbourne: 

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• There are no limits on the distance you can travel, and you can travel to regional Victoria.
• You can travel to Victoria’s Alpine Resorts. It is recommended that all visitors have a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departing Melbourne and receive a negative test (children under 12 years not included) before arriving in the Alpine region.
• You can have up to 15 people visit your home per day (cap includes dependants other than infants under 12 months).
• Patients at hospitals and care facilities can have two visitors at a time and up to five visitors per day. End of life patients can have two visitors at a time and there is no total limit per day.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors, except at your home or if a lawful exception applies.
• Face masks are recommended outdoors where you cannot maintain 1.5 metres from others.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, you should get tested for COVID-19.
• Check-in everywhere you visit using https://service.vic.gov.au/check-in">the Service Victoria QR code app, no matter how long you spend at that location.

Visit the Coronavirus website for more information on current Metro Melbourne restrictions.

From 11:59 pm on Thursday, 24 June 2021, if you live in regional Victoria:

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• There are no restrictions on travelling to metropolitan Melbourne.
• You can have up to 15 people visit your home per day (cap includes dependants other than infants under 12 months).
• Patients at hospitals and care facilities can have two visitors at a time and up to five visitors per day. End of life patients can have two visitors at a time and there is no total limit per day.
• Eased density limits apply at restaurants, venues, community and sporting facilities and other locations when a COVID Check-In Marshal is present.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors, except at your home or if a lawful exception applies.
• Face masks are recommended outdoors where you cannot maintain 1.5m from others.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, you should get tested for COVID-19.
• Check-in everywhere you visit using https://service.vic.gov.au/check-in">the Service Victoria QR code app, no matter how long you spend at that location.

Visit the Coronavirus website for more information on current Regional Victoria restrictions.

Is your organisation ready for the super guarantee rate rise?
On 1 July 2021, the super guarantee rate will rise from 9.5% to 10%. If you have employees, you will need to ensure your payroll and accounting systems are updated to incorporate the increase to the super rate.

If you need help to work out how much super you need to pay for your employees after the rate increases, you can use our super guarantee contributions calculator. For salary and wage payments made on or after 1 July 2021, the minimum superannuation guarantee contribution rate of 10% will need to be applied.

The super rate is scheduled to progressively increase to 12% by July 2025. You can find the scheduled rate increases and dates on our website. Visit the ATO website for more information.

Changes to STP reporting from 1 July
Employers should be reporting through Single Touch Payroll (STP) unless they only have closely held payees, or they are covered by a deferral or exemption. There are changes to STP reporting for small employers with closely held payees and quarterly reporting for micro employers from 1 July 2021. This may affect how you report to us. Visit the ATO website for more information on STP reporting changes.

Visit the ATO website for more information.