RLC in the Media: ‘COVID came and everything changed’: businesses face closure in south-west Sydney

Laura Chung, Fergus Hunter & Kate Geraghty report  for Sydney Morning Herald

Mounted units, traffic and highway patrol and helicopters have all been deployed in the operation.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the crackdown was necessary because of acute concerns about very high virus transmission rates between households in the large region spanning three local government areas.

 Between 7am and 3.30pm, officers issued eight fines and 51 warnings in the city’s southwest and conducted 87 business inspections.  

The announcement of the operation targeting the area was immediately met with concerns about unfair attention on local communities that are more diverse and less affluent than elsewhere in Sydney. Greens MPs and lawyers labelled the operation over-policing of vulnerable communities, calling instead for improved communication and support to increase compliance with public health orders.

“All communities need equal access to health information, resources and support to get through this difficult time. Increasing penalties to lower economic areas is not the answer,” Redfern Legal Centre solicitor Samantha Lee said.

Read the full article (Sydney Morning Herald, 9 July 2021)