Category: Australian News

The Morrison Government is investing more than $65 million from 1 January 2022 to boost bulk billing rebates and provide more affordable healthcare for patients in regional, rural and remote areas.
A new, progressive incentive schedule will be applied, that increases the value of the Rural Bulk Billing Incentive (RBBI) based on remoteness. This will enhance the financial viability of practices in rural and remote areas as well as reducing the gap paid by patients.
The more remote the area based on the Modified Monash model (MM), the greater the incentive payment they will receive per eligible consultation to recognise the greater challenges and cost pressures.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton said the Coalition Government is delivering the progressive rural bulk billing incentives in recognition of the ongoing need to provide the right incentives for the heath workforce in rural, regional and remote areas.
“Australians in rural and remote areas have poorer access to and use of health services, compared to people living in metropolitan areas,” Minister Coulton said.
“The new Rural Bulk Billing Incentive will support those GPs providing services to people in greatest need and who have the lowest propensity to pay for healthcare; our government understands GPs outside of our metropolitan areas face greater cost and workforce pressures.”
Minister Coulton said the Federal Government understands GPs face greater health complexities and challenges in rural and remote areas, which is why more than 12,000 rural and remote GPs will be eligible for the higher bulk billing incentive.
“Doctors in the bush face a greater burden of responsibility, more complex care situations, and high rates of chronic disease compared with doctors in the cities, who can rely on support from other medical services and facilities,” he said.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said Government was delivering higher bulk billing incentives for rural and remote medical practices, which would reduce out of pocket costs to patients.
“Bulk billing is an important component of the Medicare system, and outside metropolitan areas many doctors rely on the additional incentive for each consultation to help make ends meet for their clinics,” Minister Hunt said.
“While the average bulk billing rates is more than 80% across many regional, rural and remote areas, there are still more GPs in these areas who could offer bulk billing for their patients.”
Minister Coulton said the new rural bulk billing model not only recognises the work of current rural and remote doctors but will also encourage more doctors to consider a career in rural practice.
“We want to make rural Australia a career destination of choice for aspiring rural doctors,” Minister Coulton said.
“The new rural incentive rates are another key reform we have delivered to attract more doctors to the bush and further builds on the Coalition Government’s ten-year Stronger Rural Health Strategy.
“There isn’t a single solution to solving rural doctor shortages, that’s why the Coalition Government continues to work on a range of practical workforce, training and primary care reforms with the aim to create more sustainable community health services in rural and remote communities.”
The RBBI encourages doctors to offer medical services without out of pocket costs to vulnerable populations, including children under 16, senior Australians and concession cardholders.
Bulk-billing doctors outside metropolitan areas currently receive 150 per cent of the base BBI across the board (MM2-7). The new payment rates, based on the base BBI for metropolitan areas, will be:

• large and medium rural locations (MM 3-4) – 160 per cent of the base rate
• small rural locations (MM 5) –170 per cent of the base rate
• rural locations (MM 6) – 180 per cent of the base rate, and
• very remote locations (MM 7) – 190 per cent of the base rate.

This means, from 1 January 2022, doctors practicing in rural and remote areas will be able to receive an incentive payment of up to $12.35 per consultation.
There is no change to the RBBI rate for doctors in MM 2 locations (150 per cent).
The RBBI is an ongoing, demand-driven, program and the introduction of the progressive incentive schedule will begin on 1 January 2022 at an estimated cost of $65.8 million over the Forward Estimates.

The Morrison Government is today announcing additional measures to help more Australians own their home sooner as part of the 2021-22 Budget.
This follows the successful HomeBuilder program which is expected to support more than $30 billion in residential construction with more than 120,000 Australians applying for the grant.
As part of the 2021-22 Budget, the Government will:

• Establish the Family Home Guarantee with 10,000 guarantees made available over four years to single parents with dependants. The Family Home Guarantee allows them to purchase a home sooner with a deposit of as little as two per cent;
• Expand the New Home Guarantee for a second year, providing an additional 10,000 places in 2021-22. First home buyers seeking to build a new home or purchase a newly built home will be able to do so with a deposit of as little as five per cent; and
• Increase the maximum amount of voluntary contributions that can be released under the First Home Super Saver Scheme from $30,000 to $50,000.

The Morrison Government is also providing an additional $124.7 million in funding which will allow the states and territories to bolster public housing stocks, or to meet their social and community housing responsibilities under the 2011 Fair Work decision on Social and Community Services wages.
The Government understands the importance of owning your own home and the significant economic and social benefits home ownership provides.
Supporting more Australians to own their own home is part of the Government’s economic plan to secure Australia’s recovery.

The National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response and changes to the Australian COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions for the health and economic consequences of COVID-19.
There have been 29,897 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 910 people have died. More than 17.1 million tests have been undertaken in Australia.
Globally there have been over 155.6 million cases and sadly over 3.2 million deaths, with around 842,000 new cases and more than 13,000 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world. Sadly in India there were more than 400,000 confirmed cases in the previous 24 hours.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out continues to expand. To date 2,554,531 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 81,000 in the previous 24 hours. Around 10 per cent of the Australian adult population have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 30 per cent of over 70 year olds.
The number of administration sites has expanded, with more than 5,000 general practices, general practice vaccination centres, Aboriginal health services and state clinics now administering COVID-19 vaccinations.
Today, National Cabinet received a briefing from Professor Brendan Murphy, Chair of the Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group, and the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly on the vaccination program and current status of the outbreak in India.
National Cabinet agreed the imperative to work together to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to Australians as quickly as possible.
National Cabinet will return to monthly meetings. The next meeting of National Cabinet will be on Friday 4 June 2021.
Recommencement Of Facilitated Commercial Flights
National Cabinet noted that since the temporary pause on flights from India commenced there has been a sustained reduction in COVID-19 positive cases originating from India in Australia’s quarantine system. The number of COVID-19 positive cases in the National Centre for Resilience at Howard Springs has fallen to 21, from more than 50 cases a week ago. Positive cases associated with previous facilitated flights from India are on track to reach zero by 14 May.
National Cabinet thanked the Indian Australian community in Australia and in India for their support and understanding during the temporary pause in passenger flights between Australia and India.
National Cabinet noted the advice that the Biosecurity Act 2015 Determination has been effective in stemming the flow of positive cases into Australia to ensure the safety of Australia’s quarantine system. The Determination was designed to be a temporary measure and the medical advice provided to the Minister for Health is that it will be safe to allow it to expire as planned on 15 May.
National Cabinet noted the agreement between the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory Government that facilitated commercial flights into the National Resilience Centre at Howard Springs will resume on May 15 with one flight per 7-9 days, with an estimated 1,000 Australians expected to return under these arrangements by the end of June. Vulnerable Australians will be prioritised on these flights. Passengers on flights will require mandatory PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT).
National Cabinet noted the New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland Governments’ offer to accept further facilitated flights from India in May, with mandatory PCR and RAT in place and within existing quarantine capacity. South Australia will consider the arrangements over the next two weeks.
Post 15 May, transit points into Australia will be monitored carefully to ensure that positive case numbers remain within manageable levels. In particular the Commonwealth Government will work with the Sri Lankan Government to monitor the situation in Sri Lanka and whether further measures including RAT may need to be put in place to address transit point risks.
The current pause on direct commercial passenger flights between India and Australia remains in place and will be reviewed by the Commonwealth Government next week.
The Commonwealth will also consider tightening Australian Border Force (ABF) outbound travel restrictions for Australians travelling overseas and continue the restrictions in place in respect of applications for travel to high risk countries. National Cabinet agreed to vaccinate essential outbound Australian travellers with ABF travel exemptions approvals. This includes only people travelling in response to the COVID-19 outbreak including in the Pacific; urgent medical treatment; national interest; critical industries and business; compassionate and compelling grounds; urgent and unavoidable personal business.
Passenger Caps
National Cabinet noted that future agreements on capped flights between jurisdictions and the Commonwealth will be discussed bilaterally.

Government chartered repatriation flights to the Centre for National Resilience at Howard Springs for Australians returning from India will resume on May 15, after the completion of the current temporary ban on re-entry, the Morrison and Gunner Governments confirmed today.
Since the pause on flights from India commenced there has been a sustained reduction in COVID-19 positive cases originating from India in Australia’s quarantine system.
The National Security Committee of Cabinet was advised yesterday that the pause was working and that this would allow the repatriation flights to resume after May 15.
The temporary ban will remain in place until that time, as intended.
The number of COVID-19 positive cases in the Howard Springs has fallen to 21, from more than 50 cases a week ago, and positive cases associated with previous facilitated flights from India are on track to reach zero by 14 May.
Repatriation flights into the Howard Springs will resume on May 15 with one flight per 7-9 days, with an estimated 1,000 Australians returning by the end of June. Vulnerable Australians will be prioritised on these flights.
An initial repatriation flight to Darwin will leave India on May 15. Two further repatriation flights to the Northern Territory from India will be scheduled during May.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the flight pause has given the quarantine system space to operate safely and to protect Australians from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the travel pause remaining in place until May 15 with no changes.
“The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage outside Australia’s borders and the temporary pause on flights continues to give our quarantine facilities time to reduce infection rates and reduce the risk of COVID escaping into the community,” the Prime Minister said.
“Closing our international borders and the use of quarantine for returning Australians has protected the health of all Australians during the pandemic and given us a way of life that is the envy of the world.
“I have written to state and territory leaders to invite their participation in receiving direct repatriation flights from India over the coming weeks to further assist the efforts in Howard Springs.
“I want to thank the Gunner Government, NT Health and our AUSMAT teams for continuing to provide safe and effective quarantine facilities at Howard Springs that is the best facility in the world.”
New measures will be in place for all resuming flights from India into the Northern Territory, which will require passengers to return both a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test and a negative Rapid Antigen test before boarding.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said these measures ensure the Commonwealth and Territory Governments can continue to get Australians home from India safely, while ensuring the case load at Howard Springs remains manageable.
“The Territory always stands ready to help our fellow Australians and we were there to help those first Aussies home from Wuhan at the start of this pandemic,” Chief Minister Gunner said.
“There is a humanitarian crisis in India and we have the gold standard facility with the health care heroes the country needs at our Centre for National Resilience to help get Australians home safely.
“We are pleased with the drop in the active COVID-19 case load we have seen at Howard Springs since the temporary pause on re-entry from India, and our clinical advice is that it is now safe to resume flights.”
Commonwealth and Northern Territory health experts will assess the effectiveness of new pre-flight testing and isolation measures on infectivity rates in returning Australians on these May repatriation flights from India.
While Howard Springs has managed the current COVID-19 peak without a single breach, it was important to reduce the high rate of incoming active cases during the second half of April to avoid putting pressure on the facility and NT Health systems.
As a close friend and comprehensive strategic partner, Australia stands with India as it battles a surge in COVID-19 cases. More than 20,000 Australians have returned home on repatriation flights since the beginning of the pandemic. The Commonwealth and Territory governments are committed to continuing to get Australians home safely.
The Commonwealth Government’s Biosecurity Act 2015 Determination has been effective in stemming the flow of positive cases into Australia to ensure the safety of Australia’s quarantine system. The Determination was designed to be a temporary measure and the medical advice provided to the Minister for Health is that it will be safe to remove the Determination on 15 May.
The current ban on direct commercial passenger flights between India and Australia remains in place and will be reviewed shortly.
Restrictions on travel exemptions for Australians seeking to travel to India will continue.

The Greens are calling on the Morrison Government to support the patent waiver on COVID-19 vaccines.
The Greens say that the United States’ announced support for the waiver of intellectual property provisions on COVID-19 vaccines has put further pressure on Australia to back the proposal.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens spokesperson for International Aid and Development, said:
“Australia must immediately follow the United States and back the TRIPS waiver. We are one of the hold-outs and it’s morally indefensible.
“We could have played a leadership role here and taken our global responsibilities seriously. But it’s better late than never.
“By neglecting to support a waiver, Australia is taking the side of big pharmaceutical companies over the health and wellbeing of billions of people.
“I urge the Australian government to announce – today – that we are following the United States and backing the TRIPS waiver.”
Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Health, said:
“The Greens welcome the Biden administration’s announcement of support for waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines.
“The Australian Government must be a responsible global citizen and do everything we can to ensure that lower GDP countries have access to vaccine production and that starts with supporting the proposal to the World Trade Organisation to waive intellectual property rights.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer, this is critical.”

The Morrison Government has welcomed the opening of a world-class winter training facility in Brisbane.
Minister for Sport, Richard Colbeck, said the Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre  – the Southern Hemisphere’s only all-year outdoor water ski ramp – would elevate the aspirations of athletes for generations to come.
The Commonwealth Government contributed $5.3 million towards construction of the $6.5 million facility, a collaboration with the Queensland Government, the Australian Olympic Committee and the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia.
“The Morrison Government is right behind the bid to bring the 2032 Summer Olympics and Paralympics to Brisbane, but right now we’re delivering a world-class facility to our Aussie Winter Olympians,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Australia has long enjoyed success in aerial ski disciplines, from Alisa Camplin’s historic Olympic gold medal in 2002, through to the success this year of aerial ski world champion Laura Peel and Crystal Globe winner Matt Graham, in the moguls.
“This facility will give our athletes a world-leading advantage, allowing them to train safely and comfortably in our own backyard.
“It delivers state-of-the-art facilities right now for our current winter Olympians getting ready for the Beijing Games, 2022.”
The facility boasts varying levels of difficulty making it a fitting training venue for athletes eager to hone their skills and one day represent Australia on the world stage.
Athletes can reach speeds of more than 70km/h and launch up to 17m above the water from the top of the 37metre ramp.
It allows trainees to test and perfect manoeuvres safely before transitioning to snow.
“We expect the 37m-high water jump will also become a beacon for international athletes who seek to come to Australia, hire these facilities and push our athletes to become the very best they can be,” Minister Colbeck said.
The facility is named in honour the life-long contribution Geoff Henke AO has made to Australian Winter Olympic sport.
“The idea for this facility has been more than a decade in the making, so the Morrison Government is proud to have been able to deliver it for Australia’s sporting community.”

In a major boost to the COVID-19 vaccination program, the Australian Government is ramping up the weekly number of doses of AstraZeneca being provided to general practices across Australia.
With deliveries commencing next week, participating general practices which have been receiving 50 doses per week, will now receive 150 doses per week, and general practices receiving 100 doses per week, will now receive 200 doses per week.
We are providing more vaccines to protect more Australians earlier, as we start the next steps of our vaccination program for people 50 years and over, and ensure that our priority populations can continue to access the vaccine as soon as possible.
Primary care vaccination sites have now administered more than 1.2 million vaccinations – more than half the total so far. This is an amazing achievement in such a short amount of time and a true reflection of the capacity of the sector.
General practice is leading the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged 50 and over,
and will continue to be an integral partner in the delivery of our national COVID-19 vaccination program.
Our Government has brought forward to 17 May, access to AstraZeneca for people 50 years and over and I am pleased to announce that more than 800 general practices have elected to start earlier, reflecting the ongoing commitment of general practice to support their local communities.
This is in addition to the Commonwealth, state and territory Vaccination Clinics which commenced vaccinating the over 50s on 3 May. I welcome their partnership in this early delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
To all Australians, please come forward and get vaccinated. It will help protect you, your family, your friends, your workmates, everybody. It will keep you, and the country COVID safe.
For more information on the vaccine program, including vaccination sites near you, visit health.gov.au

The Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt, has announced the Greens will move in the Senate next week for the Government to revoke its direction under the Biosecurity Act to ban and put in place criminal penalties on Australians and residents returning home from India.
“The ban is racist, it’s possibly illegal, it’s not based on health advice and it must be rescinded immediately.  The Greens will move in the Senate next week to overturn the ban and we believe it will have widespread support amongst Senators.”
“The pandemic needs a health-led response, not a force-led response, where the government criminalises people desperate to return home.  There weren’t these threats of jail time when dealing with predominantly white countries.”
“The Liberals are now punishing people for the government’s own failings, abandoning them in a COVID-ravaged country. Morrison must take immediate steps to make sure that people can return home through repatriation flights and safe quarantine arrangements.”
“The Government must also urgently provide more assistance to India at this time of great need.”

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has called out the increasing greenwashing of the government’s gas agenda.
The Greens have emphasised since the proclamation of the ‘gas-led recovery’ that gas is as dirty as coal and that plans such as building new gas plants would lock-in climate failure.
“Morrison’s so-called ‘gas-led recovery’ is a shameful exercise in corporate welfare for yesterday’s technology.
“Adding as little as 5% hydrogen, which is the target for Energy Australia’s mooted ‘hybrid’ plant, is a comb-over for generators of dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.
“Australia is in the box seat to be a leader on batteries, renewables and green hydrogen, but that opportunity is going to be lost if state and federal governments keep pouring tax dollars into fossil-fuels.
“The effect of the gas-led recovery is taxpayers’ money going to Liberal donors to build polluting plants which will push up power bills.
“This is policy running directly against all available evidence.
Reputex studies showed that energy prices will be lower with renewables backed with batteries rather than with more gas.
The International Energy Agency is clear: we can’t build any more coal, oil or gas assets and stop runaway global heating.
The experts who manage our energy system (AEMO) have said we don’t need any new gas.”
“Gas use by Australians is going down each and every year and a government investment in new gas is going to be an expensive white elephant.
“But this isn’t just a giant waste of taxpayers’ money which will drive up the cost of electricity, it’s also going to create market volatility and slow the transition to renewable energy.
Liberal Donor Links
The Snowy Hydro Kurri Kurri proposal is set to be built on land owned by a Liberal Party donor and NSW ICAC regular, Jeff McCloy, who described himself as “a walking ATM for the NSW Liberal Party.”
Additionally, the chair of Snowy Hydro, David Knox, previously served as CEO of gas company and Coalition donor Santos. Santos is lined up to sell the gas to Snowy Hydro as part of this deal.
As for Tallawarra B, proponents Energy Australia (subsidiary of Hong Kong-based China Light and Power) have made over $57,000 in donations to the Liberal party, and in return the NSW Liberal/National government has gifted them $78 million while the Commonwealth has granted them a further $5 million to get their gas plant to financial close.
“This all adds up to a terrible chapter in the history of an Australian icon. Australians strongly opposed the sale of the Snowy, and they’ll equally oppose the attempts by this government to use it as a fossil-fuel virtue signalling bonanza for their gas and coal donors.”

Australia will deliver essential medical supplies to India today as part of our initial package of support to the Indian Government’s programme for combatting the country’s current COVID-19 outbreak.
A chartered Qantas flight departed Sydney carrying supplies to meet the needs identified by the Government of India including 1056 ventilators and 43 oxygen concentrators. This will allow Indian frontline workers to provide lifesaving medical interventions.
These Australian donated supplies will be distributed by the Indian Red Cross and local authorities to ensure support reaches those in greatest need.
The Morrison Government is working closely with state and territory governments and the private sector on the urgent deployment of further emergency supplies to India.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne said that as close friends and strategic partners, Australia and India will stand together during this challenging time.
“India has shown great leadership and generosity to the world in exporting vaccines globally. It is time for the world to repay that generosity and Australia as a close friend of the Indian people is playing its part,” Minister Payne said.
“We express our solidarity and deepest support with India as it responds to this ongoing crisis and recognise how difficult this time is for Indians and Australians in India and their loved ones.”
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the Government had offered a significant package of support to the Indian Government.
“We are deeply passionate about supporting people in India, which is why we have reached out to support with medical supplies such as oxygen, ventilators and PPE,” Minister Hunt said.
“At the same time we are working on plans to resume travel from India to support Australians to get home.”
Australia’s High Commission and Consulates in India continue to provide consular assistance to Australians in need.