AFR
Patrick Durkin
BOSS Deputy editor
Aug 10, 2020
Uber Eats and the Jeff Bezos-backed Deliveroo are pushing into delivery of basic food and drug supplies, as Victoria’s COVID-19 lockdown hits critical supply chains, despite Australia Post winning a last-minute concession.
Telstra, insurance assessors, flower makers, brick manufacturers and ride-share drivers were among other winners from tweaks to lockdown rules.
The state’s daily coronavirus cases touched a 12-day low on Monday with 322 new cases but was the deadliest day with 19 deaths.
Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate sent a message of thanks to The Australian Financial Review, after striking a deal with the Andrews government late on Sunday night to exempt posties and delivery drivers, as well as some concessions on parcel processing.
“The article on Saturday absolutely helped raise awareness and ultimately get to a more sensible way forward,” she said in a text.
Deliveroo, whose new 16 per cent shareholder Amazon was cleared by regulators in the UK last week, has partnered with BP and EzyMart to also deliver groceries, personal items and basic drugs such as Panadol.
“Since BP joined Deliveroo, we have seen a steady increase in demand for convenience items and demand has grown significantly since the onset of COVID,” Deliveroo’s Australian chief executive Ed McManus told The Australian Financial Review.
“EzyMart recently joined Deliveroo and is in the process of bringing a large number of stores onto the platform in response to consumer demand for pantry essentials, personal care items, fridge essentials and convenience snacks.
Uber Eats said it had teamed up with Caltex to deliver critical pharmaceutical items such as Panadol, Nurofen, Zyrtec, Codral and Advil in under 30 minutes.
Monday’s list also included a tweak to allow ride-sharing for “medical, care or compassionate purposes”.
“Uber remains available but only to provide Melburnians with transport for permitted workers, to support access to permitted services, such as getting to or from a supermarket, and now for those travelling for care or compassionate reasons,” an Uber spokesperson said.
The Victorian government released a third version of permitted industries a week after the first lockdown list was released. Industries including builders and car repairers continued to push for clarity on dozens of specific examples, as they called for leniency amid genuine uncertainty on what is allowed.
“Our industry has gradually received more clarity on the major points that were not clear,” Master Builders Victoria CEO Rebecca Casson said.
“However, there will always be unique situations within such a big industry, and many of these questions are not covered by the catch-all rules, which is understandable.”
Dramatic changes
The latest tweaks followed dramatic changes last Thursday — the first day of lockdown rules for business — with supermarkets Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and Metcash striking a deal to ensure supply lines.
Other changes last week included greater flexibility for building and construction work and concessions for poultry farmers, seafood and small abattoirs, as well as practical concessions such as allowing car parks to stay open for essential workers. Working parents received clarification they did not both need to be permitted workers to have the possibility to access childcare.
Australia Post had its posties and delivery drivers exempted from restrictions late on Sunday night. It still faces some restrictions on parcel processing, including a 10 per cent reduction in staff rather than one-third, which is expected to cause delays but they will be able to work 24/7 under split shifts in compliance with COVID-safe plans.
“We have worked with the Victorian government to ensure that our post offices remain open and that our deliveries – our posties and drivers across Victoria – remain on the road,” a Post spokesperson said.
“For our delivery and parcel facilities in metropolitan Melbourne only, we will have a 10 per cent daily workforce reduction, coupled with split shifts in a COVID-safe environment, ensuring cleaning between shifts and a COVID Safe Plan.”
Exemptions and carve-outs
Telstra was also able to reopen 29 stores on Monday in another post lockdown deal which will allow the stores to be repurposed as contactless service centres for customers with essential service issues.
The stores will be operating six days a week with reduced staff from 10am to 2pm by appointment. Essential services will include SIM swaps, new or replacement devices, fixed internet connection and modems.
Other changes detailed in the latest Monday list included an exemption for electorate offices to allow up to two staff and the member of Parliament, after an outcry by the Victorian Opposition.
Insurance assessors were carved out to operate on site for safety or emergency reasons.
As flagged by Premier Daniel Andrews last week , flower growers were added to the list of agricultural industries permitted.
Other industries received clarifications including brick manufacturers. The Victorian government said support businesses are defined as those businesses necessary for the operation of a permitted industry (for example, brick manufacturing is critical to residential construction, while carpet manufacturing is not).
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