Category: Australian News

The National Cabinet met today to take further decisions to save lives, and to save livelihoods.
The Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy provided an update on the measures underway, the latest data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.
There are over 6,670 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 78 people have died.
It is clear that the suppression strategy for the virus is working. National Cabinet again noted data that confirms the measures put in place to suppress the virus have largely been successful in slowing and reversing the growth of cases in Australia, to ensure our health system has the capability to manage the epidemic.
It is estimated that approximately 93 per cent of all symptomatic cases are detected in Australia. Australia has the highest reported detection rate in the world.
Australia’s border and quarantine arrangements have successfully reduced transmission of COVID-19 from overseas arrivals, with the focus now on containing domestic outbreaks in local communities through rapid responses. The infection rate of imported cases is now 99 per cent less than local cases, due to these measures.
Domestic outbreaks if left uncontained have the potential to spread fast and overwhelm local health systems. This highlights the importance of enhanced testing, tracing and rapid containment health responses when outbreaks occur. Domestic transmission of asymptomatic cases and those with mild symptoms is a priority for National Cabinet.
As a next step in our response, National Cabinet agreed to expand testing criteria across Australia to all people with mild symptoms of COVID-19. This will ensure cases are quickly identified.
Further work to plan for enhanced monitoring, testing and tracing is underway through the development of the Pandemic Health Intelligence Plan and an Australian National Disease Surveillance Plan sitting under the Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
National Cabinet further passed a motion of condolence to the Victorian police officers killed in the line of service.
National Cabinet agreed to meet again on 1 May 2020.
COVID-19 Modelling
For COVID-19 suppression strategies to be effective, Reff (the number of people a single case infects on average) needs to be less than 1.0.
The results of the nowcasting pandemic model produced by the University of Melbourne (Doherty Institute) continue to look very encouraging.
National Cabinet received an updated briefing on new modelling with the Reff now below 1.0 across all states and territories, except for Tasmania. Australia’s case detection rate is 93 per cent and projections of case numbers are below lower bound modelled estimates.
The modelling has been refined, reflecting the success in reducing transmission from overseas arrivals and local outbreaks. Without mitigation, local outbreaks have the potential to significantly increase case numbers and overwhelm health systems.
Updated statement on schools
National Cabinet agreed with updated Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) advice on schools.
AHPPC noted that among many measures, smaller class sizes might reduce the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools.
AHPPC does not believe however, that the ‘venue density rule’ of no more than one person per four square metres is appropriate or practical in classrooms or corridors, nor maintaining 1.5 metre between students during classroom activities.
This clarification complements AHPPC’s advice on reducing the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools (published 16 April).
AHPPC continues to note that there is very limited evidence of transmission between children in the school environment and population screening overseas has shown very low incidence of positive cases in school-aged children. In Australia, 2.4 per cent of confirmed cases have been in children aged between 5 and 18 years of age (as at 6am, 22 April 2020). AHPPC believes that adults in the school environment should practice room density measures (such as in staff rooms) given the greater risk of transmission between adults.’
Masks
National Cabinet noted the AHPPC advice that wearing of face masks by the general population is not currently recommended. Should significant community transmission in Australia occur, mask wearing in public is an available option.
Aged Care Response
National Cabinet again discussed the outbreaks of COVID-19 in residential aged care facilities and the critical importance of balancing infection prevention and control measures against the needs and best interests of residents.
National Cabinet stressed the AHPPC advice that it is not acceptable for any facility to put in place restrictions beyond the principles agreed on 17 March 2020. These include complete lockdowns or banning all visits from carers and families, other than during a specified facility outbreak.
Facilities are best placed to know the appropriate levels of infection control and prevention to implement, in consultation with the relevant public health units and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. The Commonwealth Government will continue to monitor the situation and will take steps, if necessary, to require facilities to seek an exemption from the Commission before implementing additional restrictions.
Sport and recreational activities
National Cabinet agreed that the AHPPC will develop, for consideration, key principles for the recommencement of community and professional sport, and recreational activities.
National Safe Workplace Principles
National Cabinet agreed to develop nationally-consistent, industry-specific work health and safety guidance on COVID-19, accessible via a central hub provided by Safe Work Australia.
The guidance will be developed and endorsed through Safe Work Australia, working with its members (the Commonwealth, states and territories, employer groups, and unions). The guidance will be housed on a revamped Safe Work Australia website.
Australian workplaces will be able to use this central hub of WHS guidance and tools to help manage health and safety risks posed by COVID-19.
To support the development of nationally-consistent guidance, National Cabinet agreed the ‘National COVID-19 Safe Workplace Principles’ (Attachment A):
ATTACHMENT A
National COVID-19 safe workplace principles
Recognising that the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency, that all actions in respect of COVID-19 should be founded in expert health advice and that the following principles operate subject to the measures agreed and implemented by Governments through the National Cabinet process
1. All workers, regardless of their occupation or how they are engaged, have the right to a healthy and safe working environment.
2. The COVID-19 pandemic requires a uniquely focused approach to work health and safety (WHS) as it applies to businesses, workers and others in the workplace.
3. To keep our workplaces healthy and safe, businesses must, in consultation with workers, and their representatives, assess the way they work to identify, understand and quantify risks and to implement and review control measures to address those risks.
4. As COVID-19 restrictions are gradually relaxed, businesses, workers and other duty holders must work together to adapt and promote safe work practices, consistent with advice from health authorities, to ensure their workplaces are ready for the social distancing and exemplary hygiene measures that will be an important part of the transition.
5. Businesses and workers must actively control against the transmission of COVID-19 while at work, consistent with the latest advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, including considering the application of a hierarchy of appropriate controls where relevant.
6. Businesses and workers must prepare for the possibility that there will be cases of COVID-19 in the workplace and be ready to respond immediately, appropriately, effectively and efficiently, and consistent with advice from health authorities.
7. Existing state and territory jurisdiction of WHS compliance and enforcement remains critical. While acknowledging individual variations across WHS laws mean approaches in different parts of the country may vary, to ensure business and worker confidence, a commitment to a consistent national approach is key, including a commitment to communicating what constitutes best practice in prevention, mitigation and response to the risks presented by COVID-19.
8. Safe Work Australia (SWA), through its tripartite membership, will provide a central hub of WHS guidance and tools that Australian workplaces can use to successfully form the basis of their management of health and safety risks posed by COVID-19.
9. States and territories ultimately have the role of providing advice, education, compliance and enforcement of WHS and will leverage the use of the SWA central hub in fulfilling their statutory functions.
10. The work of the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission will complement the work of SWA, jurisdictions and health authorities to support industries more broadly to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic appropriately, effectively and safely.

Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk with a massive drop in homebuilding activity projected to hit the housing industry due to the impact of COVID-19.
Housing construction has been spared from lockdown measures but current projects are winding up, and new work is drying up.
According to a survey by the Master Builders Association, 73 per cent of residential construction businesses reported a substantial fall in forward work, with 40 per cent being lost on average.
The projected number of annual new builds has also dropped significantly from over 160,000 to 100,000.
Right now, there is a risk that as Australia goes back to work, tradespeople will run out of work.
This is about people and their ability to pay their bills and look after their families.
In times of economic shock, housing construction has played a vital role in national economic recovery.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that for every $1 invested in new housing construction, $3 of activity is created for the broader economy.
The Government and National Cabinet urgently needs to develop a plan with the housing industry to make sure hundreds of thousands of tradespeople don’t lose their job.
This could include:

• Repair and maintain existing social housing.
• Incentivising new builds in the housing sector.
• Encouraging apprentices and apprenticeships.

The economy won’t snap back if this industry snaps.

The biggest road infrastructure project in WA’s history, the $1.02 billion NorthLink WA is now fully open, providing a free-flowing link between Morley and Muchea, doubling road capacity and improving journey times and productivity.
Road users travelling from Kewdale to Muchea can now avoid up to 16 sets of traffic lights, two railway crossings and 21 speed limit changes.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the third and final section of the project – a 22-kilometre dual carriageway highway between Ellenbrook and Muchea – will transform how traffic enters and exits Perth from the state’s north.
“The opening of the final section means road users, particularly freight, can now realise the full benefits of the 37-kilometre highway,” the Prime Minister said.
“NorthLink WA has also supported around 7000 direct and indirect jobs for Western Australians throughout its construction.”
Federal Member for Pearce Christian Porter said the project would also significantly reduce heavy vehicle traffic on Great Northern Highway through the Swan Valley tourism region, enabling a safer road environment for visitors and local businesses.
“One of the many benefits of NorthLink WA’s latest section is that it will take trucks and heavy vehicles off Great Northern Highway, reducing congestion and making roads safer along the beautiful Swan Valley,” Mr Porter said.
“Our northern suburbs have always been great places to live and work, but the unprecedented investment behind key infrastructure projects like NorthLink WA has made them even more accessible and primed for future growth.”
Cyclists and pedestrians can now access a four-metre-wide Principal Shared Path, from Railway Parade in Bayswater to Muchea ¬ a distance of around 42 kilometres.
Traffic speeds (outside work zones) are 100 kilometres an hour to Ellenbrook and 110 kilometres an hour between Ellenbrook and Muchea, reducing travel times significantly and improving both safety and the driving experience for motorists.
Finishing works are still underway, so please pay careful attention to the new configuration and obey the signage.
The NorthLink WA project was jointly funded with the Australian Government providing $820.84 million and the Western Australian Government $204.06 million.

The Australian Government is boosting the nation’s long-term fuel security by taking advantage of dramatic falls in global oil prices and building on our historic agreement with the United States to access their Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)
Under the new measures, Australia will establish its first Government-owned oil reserves for domestic fuel security.
This will include a deal with the United States to store Australian Government owned crude oil in the US SPR.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the Government would also work with the private sector to consider options for improving domestic fuel security, and would work with refineries on temporary measures to ease the stockpiles of jet fuel by amending fuel standards under the Fuel Quality Standards Act.
“The Government is taking action to improve Australia’s fuel security and enhance our ability to withstand global shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, when they reach our shores,” Minister Taylor said.
“Australians can be reassured there is plenty of fuel in the country and we are extremely well placed to keep supplies flowing through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The new measures will take advantage of the current low prices for oil and Australia’s privileged position of access to the SPR, which is amongst the world’s most cost-effective long-term oil storage facilities. This work is a down payment on a stronger and more secure fuel supply for Australian households, motorists, industry and the national economy.
“Today’s announcement delivers immediate and medium-term measures that form a framework for a highly successful and domestically-centred approach to fuel security, which will underpin our economic prosperity for the next decade and beyond.”
Global oil prices have hit new lows due mainly to a significant drop in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of cost-effective long-term storage options.
Australia has been negotiating access to the SPR since 2018, with Minister Taylor and US Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette signing the first arrangement of its kind to facilitate this deal in March of this year.
Australia will spend $94 million to buy oil at the current low global prices. Australia has access to hold oil in the US SPR for an initial period of 10 years.
Minister Taylor said the Government would shortly launch a process to work with the private sector to identify the best options for further strengthening fuel security in Australia. Terms of reference to guide this process will be released in due course and will focus on investment options, supporting the refining sector and assessing the most effective stimulatory options.
To help refineries, the Government will work on a temporary change in fuel standards to provide refiners with more flexibility to adapt their operations to manage the changes in demand and oil prices as a result of COVID-19. Any change will be closely managed to ensure refiners have increased flexibility while motorists and the environment are protected.
“The temporary change provides Australian refineries with flexibility and can assist them to shore up their viability by helping them resolve some storage and supply issues,” Minister Taylor said.
At the end of February, Australia had 81 days’ worth of oil supplies, including 25 days of stocks in overseas ports and in transit to Australia.
The oil held in the SPR will count towards Australia’s IEA 90 day stockpiling commitment.
Today’s COVID-19 fuel security package includes:

• Purchasing crude oil to store in the US SPR,
• Launching a process to work with the private sector to identify options to further strengthen our domestic fuel security, and
• Working on changes to the fuel standards to provide immediate relief to refineries for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australian Greens Senator and Education spokesperson Dr Mehreen Faruqi has welcomed the South Australian government’s commitment to support international students through a $13.8 million package. Senator Faruqi has characterised it as a wake-up call and a kick in the backside of the Morrison Government, which continues to deny international students any income support.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Good on South Australia for stepping up and supporting international students at this very difficult time. Without access to any federal income support, thousands of students are struggling to pay rent, buy food, and make ends meet.
“This should really be a wake-up call and a kick in the backside of the Morrison Government. Higher education is a federal responsibility. While it’s great that students in South Australia will have access to support, students in other states continue to struggle.
“Scott Morrison and his Minister should hang their heads in shame, and then do their jobs and provide support for the hundreds of thousands of students they have so far abandoned during the COVID-19 crisis,” she said.

The Australian Greens have joined RBA Governor Dr Lowe’s calls for tax reform, with Australian Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, saying that means removing unjustifiable tax breaks for polluters, shifting tax concessions towards research, development and innovation and boosting public sector investment.
In responding to Dr Lowe’s speech, Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP warned the Liberal Party against using it as an opportunity to further give tax breaks to their corporate backers, saying everyday Australians should be the chief beneficiaries of any reforms.
“We back the call for major tax reform, which must mean getting rid of unjustifiable tax breaks to the big polluters and instead offering incentives to research, development and innovation. To get our economy out of this crisis we need new thinking, not just tinkering around the edges,” Mr Bandt said.
“The pathway out of this crisis will be green growth, not blue cuts.”
“You have to accelerate out of a corner. The government is flagging an era of aggressive deregulation, but that will only prolong the pain and leave us poorly-equipped to deal with future economic shocks.”
“To get our economy back on track we need a Green New Deal, with people back in secure work and government investment to kickstart the economy. Slashing workers’ rights and the corporate tax rate won’t just fail to encourage investment, it will be another setback in the attempt to recover from this crisis.
“The government must immediately shelve its plan to cut the R&D tax concession and instead come back with a new plan to increase it.
“This is the perfect opportunity for a price on carbon that will encourage innovation, foster growth in new jobs and industries, and end the piecemeal approach to emissions reduction that we’ve seen over the past decade. It won’t just cause a spike in economic activity as companies avoid paying for pollution, it will create a truly 21st century industrial sector that is secure well into the future.
“Australia’s labour laws already breach international standards, our wages are stagnating, and job insecurity was increasing, our efforts should encourage people to come back into the workforce and give them the security they need to start spending again.
“Unemployment is expected to surge to 10-16%, and unsurprisingly young people will be hit the hardest. Recent data shows people under 20 have seen drops in employment of up to 9.9%, with wages plummeting by 12.7%.
“The Greens will block any attempts to drive through massive tax cuts and further strip away protections for workers and the environment. We hope the government will instead accept the Greens’ call for targeted measures to support R&D, help manufacturing and lift wages.”

The lifting of mutual obligations will continue until 22 May 2020 as a result of the impact of COVID-19.
During this time employment services remain open and available to support job seekers to prepare for and find available jobs.
The Government has a strong expectation that job seekers will continue to work positively with their employment service provider, and take advantage of all the support that is available.
To further assist job seekers to prepare for and move quickly back into work, the Morrison Government is also bringing forward the Employment Fund credit for the most job-ready job seekers to be available immediately, rather than after 13 weeks, which is currently the case.
This change will apply to job seekers who commence in jobactive from 4 May 2020.
The Employment Fund can be used by employment service providers to purchase work-related items including licences, equipment, training or qualifications to ensure workers are prepared and able to take up critical roles in the economy.
These arrangements by the Morrison Government continue to support Australians through the challenges presented by COVID-19 and will be continually reviewed.

The Australian Government in partnership with states and territories, peak surgical bodies, the AMA and the private hospital sector will be increasing the availability of elective surgery in a safe and carefully considered way which ensures the wellbeing of both patients and healthcare workers.
This is possible due to the strong collaboration across governments to build capacity and strengthen the health system to reduce the threat of COVID-19.
Through our containment measures we have successfully suppressed the virus: closing our borders, testing, tracing, and in particular, the social distancing and the isolation. These continue to be our strongest weapons against the coronavirus.
We have been boosting the capacity of the hospitals and in addition secured over 3000 new ventilators and we have now received 60 million masks into the national stockpile. From that, perhaps most importantly, we have secured an extra 100 million masks over the next six weeks to protect our vital health care workers in what has been an intensely competitive global environment.
Through testing we have had a rate of increase of less than 1 per cent per day for nine days straight now.
All these measures are helping to bring down the rate of transmission, flattening the curve and giving us the opportunity to relax some of our measures.
Restrictions on elective surgery have been a difficult but important part of ensuring the capacity across the health system to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, thanks to the efforts of all Australians – National Cabinet has agreed with the health advice that we are in a position to reintroduce some elective procedures.
We particularly acknowledge those patients who have had their elective surgery deferred and recognise the effect this has had on their lives and wellbeing.
The first phase of the reintroduction will occur on 27 April.
Our central aim is to increase the availability of elective surgery in a safe and equitable way, on a nationally consistent basis for public and private patients.
Reintroduction of elective surgery will be done using a staged and controlled process which balances the ongoing need for the capacity to treat COVID-19 patients, while allowing our hospitals to treat elective surgery patients.
The selection of patients to undergo elective surgery will ultimately be a clinical one, guided by the following principles, recommended by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and endorsed by National Cabinet:

• Procedures representing low risk, high value care as determined by specialist societies
• Selection of patients who are at low risk of post-operative deterioration
• Children whose procedures have exceeded clinical wait times
• Assisted reproduction (IVF)
• Endoscopic procedures
• Screening programs
• Critical dental procedures.

This first stage of reinstating elective surgeries will require health administrators to monitor supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), ICU and bed capacity, while preparing for the next phase.
On the advice of AHPPC, in addition to Category 1 elective surgeries, hospitals will initially recommence one in four closed operating lists, with a focus on Category 2 and some important Category 3.
In reintroducing elective surgery we acknowledge the safety of patients and healthcare workers is paramount. A thorough risk assessment of patients planned for elective surgery is essential, based on national guidelines.
There will be a national a study into asymptomatic carriage of COVID-19 in elective surgery patients to further inform testing policy.
Personal protective equipment is a critical element of staff safety and the use of PPE should be in accordance with national guidelines. The grade of PPE should be determined according to the national suspected case definitions.
The Australian, state and territory governments have put in place clear timeframes to monitor and review the situation as part of our commitment to protect patients, health care staff and consistent with AHPPC advice.
An overall review for additional support will be undertaken at two weeks and at four weeks based on:

• The number of positive cases, in both healthcare workers and patients, linked to increased activity
• PPE use and availability
• The volume of procedures and hospital/system capacity.

Making tech giants like Facebook and Google pay for the content they take from Australian journalists and creators is a welcome, albeit long overdue, move by the Morrison Government, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“Big tech giants have been ripping off Australians by taking content for free and making huge profits. It’s beyond time to put the blowtorch on Big Tech and make them pay for content they’ve been taking for free and pay proper taxes in this country.
“The Greens have been calling for Big Tech to have to pay for the content they take from Australian journalists and creators for many months.
“Finally the Government is doing something, albeit late and after much suffering for Australian media and creators. Waiting until November for tech giants and media companies to reach a deal was never going to cut it and would’ve seen more news outlets hit the wall.
“Australian media outlets were already under pressure because of this content theft before COVID-19, but the loss of advertising revenue during this crisis has been the last straw for many.
“The key issue now is what the code will look like and how it will be enforced. Other jurisdictions have been grappling with this issue and Australia must learn their lessons.
“Public interest journalism is vital for a robust democracy and Big Tech must be held to account if we are going to protect Australia’s right to know and Australian jobs.”
Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP said:
“If the government can force Google to pay Rupert Murdoch, they can make tech giants pay our authors and artists as well.
“People working in the arts and creative sectors regularly have tech giants use their work without remuneration, and now their sectors are hit hard by coronavirus too.
“Just as we need a media industry with fearless and independent reporting to ensure politicians and business leaders are accountable to the public, we need a well-paid arts and creative sector to sustain us through times of isolation and give our nation a voice.
“Whether it’s printed on a newspaper, hung on a wall or piped through our speakers, content creators deserve to get paid for their work. Google’s CEO doesn’t work for free and neither should Australia’s creators.”