BREAKING: Victorian restrictions close dealership doors

The Victorian state government has decreed that dealerships must close their showroom doors in the wake of the stage four coronavirus industry lockdown.

Service departments will remain open but access to them will likely be governed by wider restrictions of movement.

The showroom closures apply from 00:01am this Thursday (August 6).

And while that means Melbourne consumers won’t be permitted to walk into a showroom and request a test drive or purchase a spare part, they can arrange to purchase a car over the phone, or reach out to a salesperson via other online methods.

For sales staff in the stage four localities, that opens the way for following up sales leads and the like, the Victoria Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) advised.

Although parts sections of dealerships will be closed, service departments will remain open to cater for emergency services vehicles – police, ambulance, fire brigade – as well as eligible private individuals.

The one stipulation is that members of the public must not travel further than 5km from home for the purpose of servicing or repairing their car.

The closures apply to metropolitan Melbourne only. The rest of Victoria (including Mitchell Shire) is now at stage three, leaving dealerships and automotive repair businesses free to ply their trade on site, subject to social distancing and other measures.

There are no changes for dealerships and allied operations outside of Victoria.