Tradies are set to flow back onto contactless construction sites, with the NSW government allowing weekend work to make up for lost time.

Housing Industry Association Managing Director Graham Wolfe told Deborah Knight “it’s a good first step, [but] there’s so much more to be done.”

“Well over 50 per cent” of those in the Sydney construction and manufacturing industries live in areas with additional restrictions on movement, preventing them from travelling for work.

“It’s a step backwards for all those workers that are in those three additional local government areas.

“An enormous number … of our workers [are] in those eight government areas.”

In addition to the human impact, hundreds of millions of dollars have been lost in the economy, he said.

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