Time restrictions for supermarket deliveries relaxed

In order to help local supermarkets dealing with changes in shopping patterns due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Blue Mountains City Council has relaxed restriction and movement caps for deliveries.

Council is allowing the delivery of goods to occur 24 hours day/7 days a week, as required to service the needs of supermarkets in the Blue Mountains while any Orders under the Public Health Act 2010 are in place.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “Relaxing the time restrictions for delivery of goods to local stores will enable them to replenish the shelves and respond more quickly to the needs of our community.  

“We fully support this initiative from the NSW Government,” Mayor Greenhill said.

“I would also take this opportunity to reiterate my previous message to the community – I understand a lot of people are scared and I am too. However hoarding supplies is creating this problem and more panic and fear.

“The Blue Mountains is the best community in the country because in times of crisis we stand together and support each other, and I am asking all residents to do this again now.

“We cannot have vulnerable citizens being made more vulnerable and it’s up to us all to be sensible and calm, and think of each other. That’s how we have survived crises before, and it’s how we will come through this stronger.”

Ordinarily, Development Consent conditions put some controls on the delivery times at loading docks to minimise impacts on amenity and to require supermarkets to restock and replenish the store during the normal course of business.

The impact of COVID-19 on the usual day-to-day lives of our community and business operators has resulted in supermarkets experiencing significant increase in purchasing of selected items, resulting in shortages.