The NSW Police Force will re-open the NSW/Victorian border at midnight tonight, following an unprecedented four-month police operation that facilitated the movement of more than five million vehicles.
On Wednesday 8 July 2020, the Public Health (COVID-19 NSW and Victorian Border) Order 2020, under section 7 of the Public Health Act 2010, directed that no one could enter NSW from Victoria, unless they fulfilled specific exemption criteria.
Over the past four-and-a-half months, more than 14,000 police officers from across the state have travelled to various locations across the NSW/Victorian border in support of the operation.
The high-visibility operation included General Duties officers from across NSW, as well as Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, and other specialist units, such as the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit and Dog Unit.
At the commencement of the operation, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller APM appointed Assistant Commissioner Scott Whyte as the Operation Commander and Superintendent Paul Smith as the Forward Commander.
Police were assisted by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), with 1200 personnel from all three services – Army, Navy and Air Force – deployed from Thursday 9 July 2020 to Friday 30 October 2020.
The operation also benefited from the assistance of other NSW Government agencies, including Transport for NSW, and other law enforcement jurisdictions, including Victoria Police.
During the operation, police and ADF members manned 27 border checkpoints within five Police Districts across both Southern and Western Region.
More than 100,000 police shifts were completed, with an average of 500 police officers manning checkpoints along the border each day.
More than 80 per cent of vehicle movements were undertaken by local residents within border towns.
However, seventeen Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) and seven charges were laid in relation to border control directions during the operation.
Almost 800 traffic infringements were issued, and more than 70 charges were laid for a range of offences, including drug supply, weapon possession and drink driving.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the government has been focused on responding to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic since the start of this crisis.
“All of the public health orders have been consistent with our commitment to keep the people of NSW and particularly our border communities safe,” Mr Elliott said.
“The border closures have been an extraordinarily difficult decision to make, but I cannot commend highly enough the dedication and professionalism of both NSW Police officers and our Australian Defence Force officers who have implemented the operational responses to limit the spread of the virus between NSW and its surrounding states.”
NSW Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller said the operation had undoubtedly saved lives, by preventing the spread of COVID-19 into NSW.
“From day one we said this would be a dynamic operation, and I am proud of the job our officers, in partnership with ADF members, have done in protecting the people of this state,” Commissioner Fuller said.
“Some have travelled long distances to be here, often for weeks at a time in difficult conditions, manning dozens of checkpoints, while acting in line with the health advice and making sure our community is protected.
“Today marks a new chapter in our fight against COVID-19, but I want to be clear – police will continue to enforce all public health orders as this pandemic evolves.”
Superintendent Paul Smith said the support of local communities from the coast to the South Australian border throughout the operation had been a major contributing factor to its success.
“I would like to extend my thanks to those border communities who were patient and complied with our directions over the past four months,” Superintendent Smith said.
“Police worked closely with local Members of Parliament and the mayors of border communities to minimise disruption to everyday lives.
“Not only was the community’s patience appreciated, but many of our officers have reported stories of their generosity, kindness and gratitude – which will not be forgotten.”
Police continue to appeal to the community to report suspected breaches of any public health order, or behaviour which may impact on the health and safety of the community.
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Man dies in hospital a day after being rescued from creek – Lake Macquarie
An elderly man has died a day after being rescued from a creek when he crashed his mobility scooter in the Lake Macquarie area yesterday.
Passers-by went to the aid of an 87-year-old man when his scooter ran off a footpath, rolled 6m down an embankment and into the creek below Freemans Drive at Cooranbong, about 3pm (Saturday 21 November 2020).
Emergency services arrived to find passers-by supporting the man in waist-deep water.
Fire and Rescue NSW officers carried the man to the roadway where he was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics then taken to John Hunter Hospital suffering hip and rib injuries.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District have been advised the man died in hospital about 11.30am today (Sunday 22 November 2020).
Inquiries continue.
AS MORRISON PREPARES THE GROUND TO DITCH KYOTO CREDITS LIBERALS AND LABOR BOTH FAILING 2030 TEST
Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says the Government is right to reconsider its 2030 climate ambitions, but needs to do far more than just drop the Kyoto-credits loophole if Australia is to join the rest of the world on climate action.
“The government’s terrible 2030 targets leave Australia exposed. We’re in the critical decade and domestic political games will provide no cover for Australia’s climate-pariah status on the world stage,” Bandt said.
“Scott Morrison’s 2030 targets are consistent with Australia warming by over 4 degrees, which means civilisational collapse. The Liberals’ 2030 targets are not consistent with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees.
“With Europe and the United Kingdom looking to cut pollution by well over half by 2030, and the United States having already agreed to cuts of 26-28% on 2005 levels by 2025, five years earlier than Australia, we’re becoming increasingly isolated.
“President-Elect Biden has committed to hold a global climate summit in the first 100 days of his Presidency to increase national emissions pledges, and both the Liberal and Labor parties must align Australia’s 2030 targets with the science.
“The Liberals’ 2030 targets have Australia on track for over 4 degrees of heating and Labor is letting Scott Morrison off the hook by having no 2030 targets at all.”
The Greens adjusted their 2030 and net-zero targets in July to take into account recent science and the reversal of progress since the repeal of the price on carbon – see here.
Rising unemployment rate underlines need to keep full rate of Coronavirus supplement and commit to long term increase in Jobseeker
October unemployment figures clearly show that it is untenable to return Jobseeker back to $40 a day in March and that the further cut to the coronavirus supplement in December will drop more people below the poverty line.
It’s just excuse after excuse with this Government when it comes to the Jobseeker payment, Greens spokesperson on Family and Community and Services, Senator Rachel Siewert said.
Jobseeker was too low before this pandemic, so the “wait to see the economic conditions” excuse doesn’t stand up.
It is cruel to keep people in limbo on what their fates will be after March.
Keeping Jobseeker above the poverty line is essential for people looking for work, for our communities and our economy.
It is very clear that if the Jobkeeper program ends there will be another jump in unemployment and these figures mask the people who have dropped out of the job market all together.
What the Government is doing to people on income support is cruel and dehumanising
Greens call for reinstatement of Parenting Payment Single following more evidence of significant increase in poverty rates
The Greens say that the HILDA survey showing a steep increase in single parent families living in poverty is a shocking outcome and a clear indication that the Parenting Payment Single must be reinstated until the youngest child turns 16.
“There is a direct correlation between the increase in the poverty rate of single parents and the Howard and Gillard Governments chucking single parents off the Parenting Payment onto Newstart when their youngest child turned eight,” Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services said.
This political decision has condemned hundreds of thousands of children to poverty and set them up for a life of disadvantage and poor well being.
This disaster of a policy needs to be remedied and we must reinstate Parenting Payment Single for single parents until their youngest child is 16.
New visitation guidelines as aged care moves to COVID-normal
Visitation guidelines for aged care will be adjusted to better protect senior Australians and those who care for them as the nation returns to COVID-normal.
In a move that is likely to bring relief to aged care residents, families and staff, a new three-tier escalation plan, backed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), will outline how providers can respond to the COVID-19 threat level in the local community and ramp the response up or down as needed.
Where there is no community transmission or locally acquired cases (Tier 1) fewer restrictions on visitors, excursions, small gatherings and outdoor exercise are advised.
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Richard Colbeck, said the restrictions which remained were common sense measures.
“In all areas, even in those places where there isn’t any local transmission, the AHPPC recommends restricting people who have just returned from overseas or have been in contact with a confirmed case, people who are sick, those who require isolation or quarantine and people who haven’t had the flu jab,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Visitors will also need to maintain personal hygiene, and social distance. By taking these basic precautions, we keep senior Australians in aged care physically safe while they spend time with their family, friends and loved ones, or receive care from doctors or allied health workers.”
The AHPPC guidelines also outline visitation recommendations aged care providers can put in place if they are in a defined hotspot with localised outbreaks of cases (Tier 2) and when there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in the community (Tier 3).
“The Australian Government agrees wholeheartedly with the AHPPC that residents must be protected in the least restrictive manner and their health needs must be balanced with their personal wellbeing and human rights,” Minister Colbeck said.
The Australian Government has also finalised a three-tier guidance on actions aged care providers should take in response to a situation of escalating or de-escalating COVID-19 threat level in the local community.
Additionally, Minister Colbeck said the Industry Code for Visiting Residential Aged Care Homes during COVID-19, developed in conjunction with consumer peak bodies sets out a nationally consistent, principles-based approach to maintaining residents’ visitation and communication – the Government welcomes the latest version of the code.
In conjunction with the new visitation guidelines, it offers clarity for residents and families, he said.
“The pandemic has illustrated to us more than ever, how important it is to stay connected,” Minister Colbeck said. “Aged care residents, particularly those suffering from dementia, rely on face-to-face interaction with loved ones.
As has been demonstrated just this week with the outbreak in South Australia, there are State provisions via health orders which can also impact visitation.
While these orders clearly restrict visits to residential aged care facilities, life inside aged care centres will remain as normal as possible for residents.
“These new guidelines will ensure connection for those who need it most,” Minister Colbeck said.
The Visitation Guidelines for Residential Aged Care can be found here.
The Industry Code for Visiting Residential Aged Care Homes during COVID-19 can be found here.
The COVID-19 escalation tiers and aged care provider responses can be found here.
HISTORIC REFORM COULD MAKE AUSTRALIAN HOME OWNERSHIP DREAM A REALITY
The 2020-21 NSW Budget could bring the great Australian dream of owning your own home one step closer to reality for thousands of people, with a public consultation process commencing to seek the community’s view on tax reform to reduce the upfront costs for buyers.
The community will be asked if they want the stamp duty system overhauled to allow buyers to opt out of stamp duty and instead choose a smaller annual property tax.
Stamp duty is one of the biggest financial barriers to home ownership.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the current stamp duty system was centuries old and in need of an overhaul to give NSW residents a modern tax system.
“This is the single most important economic reform we can tackle to turn the Australian dream into NSW’s reality,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This is a reform proposal for NSW where more people can own their home and have more freedom to choose the right property for their family at every stage of life.
“This is a vision for every person and family in NSW – from first home buyers trying to get a foot on the property ladder, to frontline workers moving to service our regional communities, and retirees who are ready to downsize.
“The NSW Government will work with people and communities to shape any reform over the coming months to ensure it is tailor-made for the current and future needs of our State.”
The consultation process will kickstart with a proposed model that would:
- Give people purchasing a property the choice between paying stamp duty upfront or opting for the smaller annual property tax;
- Enable people who opt-in to the system to also eliminate any land tax liability;
- Ensure that the current property owners who are not buying or selling are not affected;
- Replace the current stamp duty concessions provided to first home buyers with a new grant; and
- The proposed model includes a property tax rate that would support and incentivise home ownership with a lower rate for owner-occupiers and higher rates for investors and commercial properties.
Mr Perrottet said the model proposed could bring tens of thousands of dollars of relief to the average home buyer and turbocharge economic growth.
“This model may inject more than $11 billion into the NSW economy in the first four years and boost NSW Gross State Product by 1.7 per cent over the long term,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Reform of the inefficient stamp duty system could also create and support thousands of jobs to boost the economy and kick-start our recovery for a prosperous, post-pandemic NSW.”
The reform could be set in motion in the second half of 2021 after seeking community feedback over the coming months.
To find out more and have your say on the proposed model, visit: treasury.nsw.gov.au/property-tax-proposal.
IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE
The NSW Government is investing almost $7 billion, as part of the 2020-21 NSW Budget, to help people across the State break the cycle of disadvantage.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the Budget reinforced the Government’s commitment to early intervention services and evidence-based programs, which have proven to deliver great outcomes.
“This Budget doubles-down on the work we are doing to address longstanding social challenges in homelessness, child protection and youth justice,” Mr Ward said.
“This Budget also aims to prevent and respond to the ongoing pressures of the pandemic, by investing in support for the most vulnerable people in our community.
“These are essential investments to deliver quality services for those most in need.”
The NSW Government will invest $29 million over two years to expand the Together Home initiative, to help rough sleepers into secure housing and break the cycle of homelessness. This expansion of Together Home is on top of $1.1 billion over four years for specialist homelessness services.
This year, NSW will invest $3.5 billion in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, enabling people living with disability in NSW to receive the best possible support.
Reinforcing the NSW Government’s commitment to supporting all people with disability, the Budget commits more than $112 million over four years to fund disability advocacy programs and inclusion services.
A further $17 million will be invested to boost jobs in the rapidly growing disability support sector, to ensure service providers can attract and upskill staff.
Investment in evidence-based early intervention services is the cornerstone of support for vulnerable children and families in this year’s Budget, with a total of $1.4 billion in 2020-21 to support the safety and welfare of vulnerable children, which includes initiatives to help drive down the number of children entering out-of-home care.
The Budget also includes more than $14 million over four years to continue the Government’s reform of the youth justice system, with investments to strengthen security and infrastructure in the State’s six centres.
Another $8.6 million will be invested in early intervention programs that help reduce youth crime and divert young people away from the criminal justice system.
Teen charged with malicious damage of school bus – Metford
A teenager has been charged as investigations continue into the destruction of a school bus in Maitland last week.
Officers attached to the Port Stephens Proactive Crime Team commenced an investigation following reports of damage at a school on Chelmsford Drive, Metford, on the night of Sunday the 15th November 2020.
Police will allege a group of youths were seen on CCTV to scale a security fence about 8pm before approaching a bus, which was locked and parked on the premises.
The group broke into the bus, causing extensive damage, estimated to be in excess of $30,000, by allegedly smashing the dashboard and windows with the vehicle’s emergency hammer, and releasing the contents of a fire extinguisher.
Following inquires, a 13-year-old boy was arrested at a Metford home about 4.30pm yesterday (Thursday 19 November 2020. He was taken to Maitland Police Station and charged with 11 offences, including;
– Enter prescribed premises of any person without lawful excuse (six counts)
– Enter building/land with intent to commit indictable offence
– Behave in offensive manner in/near public place/school
– Destroy or damage property (three counts)
He was granted conditional bail to appear at a children’s court on Wednesday 16 December 2020.
Investigations are continuing.
NO QUESTION SAS COMMITTED WAR CRIMES IN AFGHANISTAN, FACILITATED BY FAILURE OF COMMAND
Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said there was no question now that Australian special forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan that are the result of a toxic warrior culture, facilitated by failures within the chain of command.
“The crimes outlined in the Brereton report – even in the limited detail we’ve been given so far – are horrendous and shameful,” Steele-John said.
“Innocent people, including children, are dead, families have been torn apart and villages have been left in ruin. Compensation must be given to the families and to the communities affected by these disgusting crimes.
“For their role in these crimes, the perpetrators and their direct chain of command – the officers who sanctioned, and often ordered these unlawful killings – must be held to account.
“So too must the higher levels of command within the armed forces who served during the Afghanistan War who either failed to act when they should have, or turned a blind eye and allowed the sanitisation of reporting.
Senator Steele-John said there were significant questions that still remained unanswered after ADF Chief General Angus Campbell’s press conference.
“Both the Office of the Special Investigator and the Oversight Committee must be independent, without any personal or professional ties to the Australian Defence Force. So far, these assurances have not been given.
“General Campbell stated that the commanders who either didn’t know what was happening on the ground, or turned a blind eye to sanitised reporting, would be disciplined internally and not referred to the Special Investigator. When negligence results in an unlawful killing, there are pathways for prosecuting that as a criminal matter and these must be explored.
“Any deliberations between General Campbell, as Chief of the Defence Force, and Lt. General Burr, as the Chief of Army, about consequences for commanders who failed to act must be transparent so that the Australian public can be assured that this toxic warrior culture is being properly addressed.
“And finally, the public have a right to seriously question the involvement of both General Campbell and Lt. General Burr’s in the implementation of the report’s recommendations and in future disciplinary actions related to this investigation, given both played leadership roles in the Afghanistan War.
“General Campbell was the Commander of Joint Task Force 633 responsbile for all Australian forces deployed in the Middle East, including Afghanistan, between January 2011 and January 2012. Lt. General Burr was a Commander of SASR on two separate deployments during the Afghanistan War.”
I and my team will be examining this report and its ramifications in detail, and consulting with experts and stakeholders to provide a more detailed response over the coming days.