Throughout the Victorian lockdowns, there has been a frustrating information time lag between the announcement of restrictions and the details. It seems the latest “Circuit Breaker Lockdown” is no exception.
At some time since the Premier’s announcement on Friday, the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website has been updated to include information specific to car wash operations.
The information can be found here, https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/shopping-and-retail#can-a-car-wash-still-operate.
As a result, ACWA regrets to inform that the official Government information now states “Car washes, including those operating as part of petrol stations, must not operate”.
ACWA also advises that at least one site in metropolitan Melbourne has been attended by Vic Police and ordered to close.
This is a difficult circumstance for car wash operators to navigate. We all appreciate that closing a site is not a simple matter of flicking the switch.
And, in some cases, by the time sites are closed, the lockdown period will have expired. For this reason ACWA has been informed that some members do not intend to close their sites at this time.
The Association makes no judgement; however, operators need to be aware that penalties may apply if operating in contravention of the Chief Health Officer’s orders.
Please note the Government regulations allow for workplaces to be attended to facilitate decommissioning.