Changes to Watergardens in accordance with the Victorian Government issued Five Day Lockdown – 17 February 2021
Stage 4 restrictions in accordance with the Victorian Government mandated lock down will end at 11:59am on 17 February.
This means you’ll see Watergardens return to its normal COVIDSafe practices.
Some government mandated restrictions will continue to apply, including face masks, which continue to be required to be worn inside at all times and outdoors when one cannot maintain social distancing (unless one of the usual lawful exemptions applies).
We have implemented a number of measures that assist us and our community in adhering to this directive including:
- All centre staff and contractors will be required to wear masks while at work unless they have a valid reason not to.
- Signage that clearly reminds our community to wear a face mask while visiting the Centre.
- Close work with local Police in monitoring our community’s adherence to COVID-19 related restrictions.
For more details on the current COVID-19 situation in Victoria, please visit: Department of Health and Human Services Victoria | Coronavirus (COVID-19) (dhhs.vic.gov.au)
The health and wellbeing of our entire community is our overriding objective and something we take very seriously. For more details on what Watergardens is doing to help keep you and your loved ones safe during this time, please read the information below.
Community notice from 8 February 2021
The Victorian Department of Human and Health Services (DHHS) have announced that an individual who recently tested positive to COVID-19 visited Off Ya Tree at Watergardens between 1:00pm and 1:52pm on Saturday 6 February. At this stage, it appears that no other Watergardens retailers were visited by this individual.
DHHS has identified this situation as a Tier 1 exposure site, and requests all those that visited this location during this time to immediately isolate, get a COVID-19 test, and remain isolated for 14 days.
On receiving the notification, Off Ya Tree has made the decision to temporarily close their store until further notice in order to undertake a deep clean of the space with high-grade disinfectant. This clean will be taken on top of our already robust centre cleaning procedures, which adhere to the guidelines set by the Federal Government’s Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection for COVID-19 principles.
DHHS and Off Ya Tree will be taking steps to understand who may have been in recent contact with the person who tested positive, and we understand they will be making direct contact with those identified.
Please visit the DHHS COVID-19 website for more information: Department of Health and Human Services Victoria | Case locations and outbreaks (dhhs.vic.gov.au).
The health and wellbeing of our entire community remains our top priority and something we take very seriously. Watergardens continues to carry out a robust range of measures designed to help stop the spread of COVID-19 within the centre. A full list of these measures can be found below.
Keeping you safe at Watergardens
Our community’s health and wellbeing is our overriding priority and we continue to maintain a range of measures to help keep you safe when you visit Watergardens. These include:
- Strengthening our already stringent cleaning processes, including a heightened focus on sanitising high-touch points with high-grade disinfectant, as well as increasing the number of cleaning rotations each day.
- Placement of hand sanitiser stations at key locations throughout the centre, including our main centre entrances and Customer Service Desk for our entire community to access.
- Installation of signage across our Centre, reminding our community to wear a face mask, keep 1.5 metres between themselves and others at all times, as well as the placement of Australian Government-issued information posters in our bathrooms which outline crucial information on how you can help stop the spread of COVID-19.
- Contactless wayfinding, available at our Centre directories, allowing you to scan a QR code on your mobile to find any store in the Centre.
- Continuation of our Order and Collect service, allowing you to order from your preferred Watergardens stores and have your order delivered directly to your car. Find out more here.
How you can help
While visiting Watergardens, we ask that you continue to play your role in keeping our community safe. This means:
- Social distancing – always keep at least 1.5 metres between yourself and others.
- Exemplary personal hygiene – wash your hands regularly and use the sanitiser stations located throughout the Centre for your convenience.
- Handling illness safely – wear a face mask, cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue and, most importantly, stay at home if you’re feeling unwell.
- Adhere to capacity guidelines – currently in Victoria the one in two square metre rule applies. Please adhere to retailer maximum capacity numbers which are outlined at their store entrance. Customers are allowed in our Food Court, whilst still adhering to the 1.5 metres distance rule.
- Plan your visit - due to restricted numbers in our restaurants, beauty salons, gyms and cinema, please ensure you contact individual retailers to book your visit.
We ask for your support in ensuring Watergardens continues to be a place of kindness and compassion for all our customers and staff throughout this unprecedented situation. For more information on things you should consider to ensure a safe and pleasant shopping experience at Watergardens, click here.
To keep up to date with the latest announcements regarding COVID-19, including case locations, we encourage you to visit DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) website at www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.
Mandatory Face Masks
If you choose to visit us during this time, please remember that you must wear a face mask at all times when visiting our Centre, unless:
- You are under 12
- You have a medical condition that prohibits the wearing of a face mask
- It’s not practical
- For professional reasons.
To help keep our entire community safe, please be sure to bring an appropriate face mask with you when you next visit Watergardens.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding as we all adjust to these rigorous new measures and navigate the changes together with kindness and compassion.
We have implemented a number of measures that assist us and our community in adhering to this directive, including:
- All centre staff and contractors will be required to wear masks while at work, unless they have a valid reason not to.
- Signage that clearly reminds our community they must adhere to the government mandate and not enter the Centre without a face mask unless they are exempt.
- Close work with local police in monitoring our community’s adherence to this new directive, generally reminding our community of this new directive and asking those that aren’t wearing face masks, without a valid reason, to leave the centre.
Where to buy a face mask at Watergardens
The retailers listed below stock face masks, however please note stock availability is not guaranteed due to the current high demand. We recommend contacting the store before you visit to check whether they have face masks in stock.
Watergardens Social Distancing Ambassadors
We’re pleased to be able to welcome specially selected Social Distancing Ambassadors to Watergardens. These Ambassadors will roam our malls and provide a reminder of the need to keep a 1.5 metre distance from others.
Our dedicated Ambassadors, dressed in an easily identifiable uniform, are trained to offer friendly and approachable direction to both customers and retailers around correct social distancing and responsible queuing. By fielding questions and reminding visitors to the Centre to maintain social distancing, these roving Ambassadors will relieve pressure in our malls.
Our security, cleaning and customer service staff will also take on the responsibility of dispensing social distancing advice to ensure maximum coverage across the Centre.
Centre Trading Hours
While we are continuing to assess the evolving situation, and are prepared to respond if necessary, Watergardens trading hours are as follows:
Monday: 9am – 5:30pm
Tuesday: 9am – 5:30pm
Wednesday: 9am – 5:30pm
Thursday: 9am – 9pm
Friday: 9am – 9pm
Saturday: 9am – 5pm
Sunday: 10am – 5pm
Although many of our retailers are permitted to trade, some may have chosen to temporarily close or otherwise reduce their hours while under government restrictions. We encourage you to review our directory https://watergardens.qicgre.com/Directory for the most recent information on individual retailers’ trading hours.