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WA’s Safe Transition Plan & Your Business

At long last, it appears that WA has a concrete transition plan in place to open up travel borders in a safe and measured way. While this brings some certainty around what the future looks like, and roughly when we’ll be able to travel to and from WA, it does mean that individuals and businesses will have to be prepared to embrace the changes being rolled out as part of the Safe Transition Plan.

WA Safe Transition Plan – What Changes are Coming?

The WA Government has indicated that the changes being brought in as part of the Safe Transition Plan will occur once 90% of Western Australians aged 12 and over are double dose vaccinated. On its current trajectory, this looks likely to occur in late January or early February 2022, but a specific date will be set upon the state reaching 80% double dose vaccination. When this target is hit, border controls will be eased, allowing all interstate and international travel into WA provided they have a G2G pass. Domestic arrivals must have had their double dose vaccination and a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure. International arrivals will not need to quarantine if they have been double dose vaccinated, but those who have not must perform the 14-day quarantine stint which is currently in place.

There will also be some sweeping public health measures being brought in with the transition plan, including face masks for high-risk indoor settings (public transport, hospitals, aged care facilities etc.). Proof of vaccination will also be required to enter events of over 1000 people, nightclubs, and the casino. The mandatory COVID contact register (i.e., SafeWA App & manual registers) will still be required at public venues, and COVID event and safety plans will be revised.

WA Safe Transition Plan – What Your Business Needs to do

In order to be compliant with the Safe Transition Plan, there are some things that all business owners need to be ready for.

• Contact Registration: Ensure your SafeWA QR code and manual contact register are up to date and working. They should be placed at the entry/entries to your business for visitors to use.
• COVID Event Checklists/Plans: If you operate a business that facilitates scale of between 500 and 2500 people, you are required to complete a COVID Event Checklist and submit it to your local government prior to event approval. For events of over 2,500 patrons, a COVID Event Plan is required. More details on COVID Safe events here.
• Mandatory Vaccinations: There are a number of industries that will be subject to mandatory double dose vaccination. As a business owner, it is strongly encouraged that you check the Department of Health website for a full list of these industries and occupations and determine whether your employees are required to be vaccinated under the mandate, or are exempt. It is your responsibility as their employer to keep records (including copies of evidence of vaccination) and ensure unvaccinated staff are not permitted to work. Failing to comply with the mandatory vaccination rules may result in a fine of up to $20,000 for individuals and up to $100,000 for bodies corporate.

Moving Forward

Note the updates provided as part of this initial WA Safe Transition Plan are subject to change based on ongoing health advice – for instance in the case of a snap lockdown in the next few months, the dates for border re-opening or mandatory vaccination deadlines may shift accordingly. Keep an eye on the Department of Health’s website for updates. As far as your business is concerned, other than the measures outlined above, it is important that if your business is impacted by the mandatory vaccination rules, you’ll need to consider this when onboarding new employees and reviewing internal policies and procedures.

We will continue to provide updates as they come through. In the meantime if you require assistance with your business, including reviewing your internal onboarding processes, please contact the CFO2GO team at McKinley Plowman on 08 9301 2200 (Joondalup), 08 9361 3300 (Victoria Park), or via our website.

written by:

Claire Ginbey

Heading up our CFO2GO team, Claire's skills as a SME Business Specialist and cloud accounting specialist have developed in line with advancements in technology and best practice; allowing her to maintain the highest service standards for clients.

Claire's passion for growing small businesses and helping them achieve sustained success is what motivates her to continuously develop her skills and knowledge. Her clients appreciate her considered and dedicated approach to working with them, and her personal oversight across their operations and financial performance.