CAPACITY LIMIT INCREASES FOR SEATED VENUES

From Monday, 15 March 2021, capacity limits for some venues will increase to 75 per cent.

Venues wishing to take advantage of this new capacity increase may do so if they have enough available space to provide adequate additional seating. Seating can be in the form of table chairs, lounges or couches, ensuring that patrons are seated.

Areas where patrons are standing or areas where there is a mixture of seated and standing remain limited to the existing one in two square metre provisions.

Increased capacity of up to 75 per cent will be allowed at seated outdoor and indoor venues including:

• restaurants, cafes, food courts, and bars;
• indoor and outdoor auditoriums and amphitheatres;
• theatres;
• concert halls;
• cinemas;
• comedy lounges;
• performing arts centres;
• places of worship;
• function centres;
• community, recreation or youth centre or facilities, including community halls and sporting clubs including but not limited to:
  • community halls, sporting clubs, Returned and Services League facilities and Police and Community Youth Centres   
• WA’s major stadiums (Optus Stadium, HBF Park, RAC Arena, HBF Stadium - Main Arena);
• funeral parlours.

If the 2 square metre rule is greater than 75 per cent capacity, the greater option will be permitted for these particular venues and events.

The 2 square metre rule will continue to apply to all other unfixed seating venues and facilities including:

• nightclubs;
• unseated events/festivals (music, beer, wine, cultural etc.);
• galleries;
• libraries;
• sport and recreation facilities including gyms, recreation centres, group fitness classes and indoor and outdoor swimming pools
• museums;
• amusement parks;
• wildlife parks and the zoo;
• adult entertainment premises (including but not limited to strip clubs, brothels and sex on premises venues);
• outdoor venues with unfixed seating, including pop-up bars and outdoor cinemas
• events with a COVID Event Plan
• pop-up events (i.e. Fringe festival - tents with auditorium seating for performances)
• casino and gambling venues; and
• arcades.

For more information please see Phase 4b frequently asked questions here. 

From 12:01 am on Sunday 14 February, venues in the Perth and Peel regions will join the rest of WA in returning to Phase 4.

Under WA’s Phase 4 restrictions:

• Capacity limits are only determined by the one in 2sqm rule
• The 2sqm rule includes staff only at venues that hold more than 500 patrons
• Mandatory contact register requirements remain in place

Masks are no longer be mandatory.

There will be no travel restrictions within WA, except for remote Aboriginal communities.

As was the case before the lockdown, public or private events involving more than 500 patrons that require local government authority approval will need an approved COVID Event Plan as part of that process.

Everyone should continue to practise physical distancing where possible, maintain good personal hygiene at all times and get tested when unwell.

The WA Government has developed a free app, SafeWA, which assists businesses to keep their contact register system in an easy and convenient manner.

Businesses that use the SafeWA app must also have an alternative and manual method of registering patron details, such as a paper-based register. This is important in the event that an individual does not have access or chooses not to use the SafeWA app. 

SafeWA can be downloaded from the Apple App Store here or the Google Play Store here

More information on how to use the SafeWA app can be found here. Troubleshooting tips for venues can be found here.

A comprehensive toolkit for business including SafeWA guides, Contact Register Infosheets, social media graphics, contact register templates and more can be found here.  - Click on links or images below to access PDFs: 

THE AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION (WA)

 Is one of the most respected industry associations in Australia. Founded in 1892, the AHA represents the hotel and hospitality industry and advocates to government, delivers valuable marketing opportunities to suppliers, provides quality training such as responsible service of alcohol (RSA) and Management of Licensed Premises (MLP 1 Approved Manager),  and provides valuable advice.

The AHA(WA) achieves success through communication and advocacy to specific target areas throughout Australia . This includes:

Members of Parliament and Government agencies

• Members of Parliament and Government agencies
• Media and Community Groups
• Hospitality and Tourism Industry Suppliers and Service Providers

Find out more about our Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) courses.

Complete your RSA Training & get your Official AHA RSA ID Card