Salon limits cut back

Hair business to continue after 30-minute restriction relaxed

TOOWOOMBA salon owners and hairdressers woke yesterday to news the government’s restrictions on hair appointments had been relaxed.

The restrictions, due to come into affect on Wednesday night, limited hair appointments to 30 minutes per customer to help limit the spread of coronavirus.

In a statement released yesterday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Premiers and Chief Ministers agreed to lift the time limit but the 4 sqm rule per person had to be strictly observed within the premises.

The news came as a relief to many hairdressers in town, including Hair We R owner Rebecca Sherden.

“It’s excellent news,” Ms Sherden said.

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull off the 30 minute thing, it wouldn’t have been possible - the rents are so high in these places that you couldn’t survive on haircuts alone.”

Ms Sherden said the first announcement had led to a rush of customers wanting to fit in last appointments.

She is currently working in the salon alone.

“It’s working well, because there is only one person here at a time,” she said.

“We are following all the rules.

“I’m keeping my head above water and we will have to see what happens.”

Pure Hair Toowoomba owner Taryn Hunter said the backflip made for more realistic working conditions.

“(They) really made it impossible for a salon to do any sort of decent work,” she said.

“I couldn’t have operated under those conditions for long financially, as most of our work is colour.

“On Friday we would have had to stand down six to seven staff members as there was no work.”

Ms Hunter said they had made changes to the salon.

“The initiatives we are implementing include closing down stations so there is space between customers, gloves available on request, staff wearing masks and disinfectant after every client,” she said.