As Australia navigates the gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions, experts and businesses say it has reached a crucial few weeks in managing the broad public consensus that has so far marked the response to Covid-19. “A month ago, the risk [of opening up] would have been higher than the benefits,” says Prof Jon Watson, the dean of the health faculty at the University of Western Australia. “Now, the benefits in Australia are higher than the risk.” The fine balancing act is particularly acute in New South Wales, where police have threatened to prosecute protesters who breach health orders, while at the same time the NRL clamours for the return of crowds and wedding venues protest that restrictions have so many anomalies they are becoming unenforceable. Guardian Australia can reveal that no fines have been issued in NSW for breaching coronavirus restrictions since Saturday. Police have been told to use their discretion and have to seek advice from a superior before they fine people. But a spokesperson for NSW Police said restrictions would still be enforced and police would “continue to work with individuals, businesses and industry to ensure compliance”. Last Friday the NRL’s corporate boxes were re-approved. On Wednesday, the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, announced that community sport – for adults as well as children – could return to full-fledged competition on 1 July. On Thursday, she said homes and outdoor spaces could now have 20 people, and food courts joined the ever-growing list of venues to welcome the relaxation of restrictions. And on Saturday, gyms will be able to reopen with 100 people (as long as they obey the 4 sq metre rule). On Friday, prime minister Scott Morrison announced that as part of “step three” in July, national cabinet had agreed stadiums and outdoor venues could have up to 10,000 people in stands – but it would be up to individual states. There will be no limit for indoor gatherings at venues under the national plan, as long as they adhere to the 4 sq metre rule, except for restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs, which are still restricted to 50 people, and weddings, which are limited to 20. Since an estimated 20,000 people gathered in Sydney last weekend for a Black Lives Matter and Indigenous Lives Matter rally, fears have been expressed that the remaining constraints on normal activity will be increasingly questioned, or simply ignored. Peter Strong, the chief executive of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, said his members felt restaurants were increasingly lagging behind. “If you can go to sport, but can’t go to a restaurant on the way home, people will be wondering why,” he told Guardian Australia. Other business owners, such as the head of one of Sydney’s largest wedding venue chains has pledged to reopen “to any numbers” and break restrictions, after seeing eased restrictions elsewhere. Strong said his members would not be taking that approach, but were anxious for the rules to catch up. “My members want to be safe,” he said. “There is no ratbag among them that is sitting there denying everything. But what they are saying is if you are allowed to go to the footy, and they did permit the marches, then why can’t we reopen sensibly, where we take people’s phone numbers, take temperatures. Why can’t we go back to a sensible approach?” Berejiklian has urged people to obey the restrictions and “be patient”. “There isn’t much more to wait in terms of making sure that every aspect of businesses that have felt restricted will some have pressure released in the near future,” she said. “Let’s not forget, and I hate to remind people of this, a lot of the breakouts that happened in NSW were at events like weddings where people came together. They were close, one or two people had the virus and that spread to the whole wedding party.” Strong said his members had noticed the use of discretion. “There haven’t been many fines at all, truth be known. A lot of people’s faith in human nature has been restored in this.” Dr Paul Griffin, an academic at the University of Queensland and the director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane, said an inconsistent approach to restrictions could erode public trust. “My fear is that if the restrictions on borders and sporting events are not appropriately relaxed in a consistent and transparent manner, obviously in a controlled way in accordance with advice from the expert groups … then we risk undermining confidence and disengaging the community who really are ultimately responsible for our success,” he said. Watson said gradual progression was key to reopening safely. “It’s a very complex issue,” he said. “It’s fantastic that Australia has done so well in terms of containing the disease. One of the reasons we have done so well is because of community engagement. We have seen in the US and UK where communities have not bought in to what their leaders are asking them to do. We are now in a position to start having these conversations.” Watson said businesses were justified in asking to reopen more fully since community transmission was so low, even if there were risks in reopening too quickly, and it was understandable they were frustrated at seeing protests go ahead. “We should all have the right to protest peacefully but we know there is still a risk from Covid-19. … [But] it doesn’t make sense to be reducing the numbers of people who can attend a bar, or go to a church or a wedding, but not for those attending demonstrations. “I think it is good that the venues are contributing to a vigorous debate. It’s right that they are asking our leaders whether this is proportionate.”