Truckies face vaccine mandate in West Australia

The West Australian Government has moved to make vaccine mandatory for people involved in the trucking and wider freight industries.

Vaccine mandates will apply to transport and freight workers travelling into Western Australia from high or extreme risk regions from late next month.

From October 24 all such workers will be required to have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and their second dose by Christmas Eve.

The new rules will be in addition to current testing and mask-wearing requirements.

Related: Truckies protest against Qld vaccine mandate

The new directions will apply to freight truck drivers, support vehicle drivers, removalists, rail drivers and rail support crew.

It will be the responsibility of employers to collect and maintain records of vaccinated workers.

The directions also provide exemptions for unvaccinated transport workers for approved medical reasons.

“I have a lot of admiration for the work of people in transport, freight and logistics, who do an incredible job each and every day,” Premier Mark McGowan said.

“Throughout the course of the pandemic, they’ve continued work to ensure Western Australians could continue with their livelihoods and keep the state’s economy ticking over,” he said.

But he said being on the road day in day out brought risks, and that was why WA had followed the health advice that this workforce be vaccinated.

“We have already seen instances where truck drivers from places like New South Wales, which is currently at an extreme risk setting, have incidentally carried COVID,” the premier said.

WITH NEWS FROM AAP