Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that arrangements for the return of international students to Australia must treat students with respect and not subject them to burdensome quarantine arrangements that will not apply to others.
Senator Faruqi said:
“The current patchwork of state and territory plans, with Commonwealth oversight, are confusing and alarming for students, and do not provide any real certainty about arrangements for students’ return.
“I’m worried by Queensland’s plans to force fully-vaccinated international students into several weeks of paid quarantine at purpose-built facilities, while Australian citizens and other visa-holders are permitted to walk straight off the plane.
“Not only would this have a clearly discriminatory effect, it would send a very negative signal to international students about their value in our community.
“We must treat these students fairly and avoid a situation where they are put through burdensome quarantine arrangements that do not apply to others. They should be treated equally and with respect.
“Last year, we saw international students abandoned in the government’s response to the pandemic, including through a lack of access to financial support. Thousands of students have nevertheless decided to stick with their studies in Australia.
“I have written to Minister Tudge to ask that the Commonwealth works closely with its state and territory counterparts to ensure that international students do not face discrimination upon their return to Australia.”
Australians to receive COVID-19 vaccine booster shot
To provide even greater protection against COVID-19, Australians aged 18 and over who have received two doses at least six months ago, are now eligible to have a booster shot.
Vaccines will be available for eligible people from November 8, following advice from Australia’s vaccine experts; the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and approval from Australia’s medicines regulator; the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program is now one of the most successful in the world – with more than 75 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over being fully vaccinated.
The Government has accepted ATAGI’s advice that the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine is recommended for the booster dose, irrespective of the primary COVID-19 vaccine used.
The booster shot is not mandatory, however it provides further protection against the worst effects of COVID-19.
Those first eligible for a booster, based on when they completed their two-dose course, will be people in high priority groups who were prioritised early in the roll out of the vaccine program.
This includes Australians aged 50 and over, residents of aged care and disability facilities, people with underlying medical conditions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and people at increased occupational risk of COVID-19.
The booster program will roll out directly to people living in Residential Aged Care Facilities and people with a disability through an in-reach program.
Frontline workers are strongly encouraged to book in to get a booster dose, if six months has passed since their second dose.
The Australian Government will consider the possibility of other vaccines being used for booster shots if successful applications are submitted to the TGA, and pending advice from ATAGI.
The Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots are free and will be available through the primary healthcare network (GPs, community pharmacies, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, and Commonwealth Vaccination Clinics) and state and territory vaccination hubs.
Australians will be able to book and receive their booster doses from 8 November 2021.
Although vaccines are the best defence against COVID-19, Australians are reminded to continue implementing other safety measures to reduce their risk of contracting the virus. Physical distancing, hand washing, wearing a face mask, and following other public health measures continue to be important for public safety.
For more details about the Australian Government’s vaccine roll out, visit aus.gov.au
The ATAGI advice is available on the Department of Health website at health.gov.au
Character cancellations protecting the Australian community
The Coalition Government has acted decisively to protect the Australian community from foreign criminals, murderers, paedophiles and rapists by cancelling or refusing 10,000 visas on character grounds since 2014.
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said the Morrison Government had zero tolerance for non-citizens who endanger Australians or engage in criminal activity.
“Coming to Australia and staying here is a privilege. There’s no place in Australia for anyone who would abuse our laws or harm our community,” Minister Andrews said.
“Since 2014, the Coalition Government has cancelled almost 7,000 visas and refused more than 3,000 – denying every one of these individuals the opportunity to do Australians harm.”
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawke said it was imperative that non-citizens wanting to visit or live in Australia align with our identity, security, health and character requirements.
“The Morrison Government takes very seriously the protection of Australians from violent and sexual non-citizen offenders. Dangerous and criminal non-citizens do not deserve an Australian visa. That’s why the Coalition has acted to cancel or refuse 10,000 visas since 2014,” Minister Hawke said.
“Non-citizens who do not comply with visa conditions, or who may pose a risk to the health and safety of the Australian community, are liable for visa cancellation.”
“Last week the Labor Party voted against new laws to remove more foreign criminals from Australia. Anthony Albanese needs to explain this decision to the Australian people,” Minister Hawke said.
A person may not pass the character test for a number of reasons including, but not limited to, that they have a substantial criminal record, or are suspected of associating with, or being a member of, a group involved in criminal conduct.
Additional information on character requirements and cancellations is available at the Department of Home Affairs website.
Protest art takes centre stage at Newcastle Art Gallery
The deep-rooted tradition of activism through art is being put in the spotlight by a new exhibition at Newcastle Art Gallery.
The Art of Protest will explore how artists use their work to highlight injustices and challenge perceptions.
From a political parody inspired by a pop music hit to works that make statements about climate change, asylum seekers or feminism, the exhibition examines a cross section of serious issues.
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said the exhibition will feature works from the Gallery’s own collection alongside key works loaned from politically engaged artists who have been mixing art and activism throughout their careers.
“Newcastle Art Gallery has a reputation for delivering thought-provoking exhibitions that engage, educate and challenge audiences in many different ways,” Ms Morton said.
“From community activism to global social movements, The Art of Protest features past and present works from local, national and international artists who are responding to disaster and injustice and calling for change.”
The expansive exhibition showcases a variety of different artistic mediums including paintings, photography, linocut, sculpture, video and mixed media, which explore everything from worker’s rights and HIV/AIDS awareness, to war, humanitarianism, colonialism, the Stolen Generation, animal welfare and LGBTQI rights.
“Artists have always played a pivotal role as a voice of protest, from the early modernists and social realists tackling worker’s rights in the 1940s, to poster art of the 1970s, through to the current issues of the day including women’s rights, environmental policy, compassion for all Australians and the preservation of local heritage,” Ms Morton said.
“Recent works of art on display respond to events of the past few tumultuous years including the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgent need for climate action.
“The apocalyptic bushfires of 2020 were the tragic inspiration for a number of works by local artist Fiona Lee, whose family home near Taree was destroyed during the blaze. She utilised materials recovered from the ruins to create works that highlight and protest against the government’s inaction on climate change.”
The Art of Protest will open on 30 October and remain on display at Newcastle Art Gallery until 30 January 2022. A free online talk on 4 November will feature artists Fiona Lee, Dani Marti and Anne Zahalka as they discuss the processes used to create their works on display in this exhibition.
Metro construction on track with new milestone
Track laying on the first rail crossing under Sydney Harbour is complete, marking a major milestone on the Metro City & Southwest project.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said projects like these aid the state’s economic recovery while he was inspecting the completed tracks and the new Barangaroo Station, which is now ready for platforms, lifts and escalators to be installed.
“This incredible city-shaping project is coming together before our eyes, with services set to start in 2024,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Sydney Metro will transform the way we travel around our great city – the trip deep under Sydney Harbour will take just three minutes between the new Barangaroo Station and Victoria Cross Station at North Sydney.”
Minister for Transport Rob Stokes praised the construction team for completing the 800 metre section of track in both tunnels under Sydney Harbour.
“Workers have laid 2,400 railway sleepers and 4,200 tonnes of concrete have been installed to finish this historic railway tunnel under Sydney Harbour,” Mr Stokes said.
“It’s incredible to think of the hard work that is going into this project. Eventually more than 4,000 tonnes of Australian steel will be used for the 31 kilometres of tracks from Chatswood to Sydenham, including 200 tonnes under the Harbour.”
The excavation of the Barangaroo caverns, which will house the metro platforms, took almost two years to complete. About 650,000 tonnes of crushed rock – enough to fill 100 Olympic swimming pools – was removed.
Station builder BESIX Watpac will now fit out the station, creating 300 jobs at the peak of construction. Across the Sydney Metro City & Southwest, more than 5,000 people are currently working on the project; about 50,000 will have worked on the project by the time it is complete.
Metro trains will start running through the harbour tunnels in 2024, extending the North West Metro into the city and beyond to Bankstown.
New stations are being delivered at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street and Waterloo, along with new underground platforms at Central Station.
Rapid antigen home tests to reduce disruption in schools
The NSW Government is trialling Rapid Antigen Home Testing (RAHT) kits to reduce disruption at schools and halve the time close contacts need to isolate.
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said a pilot program of the test kits would begin in Albury next week.
“I want to see disruption to our students’ education from COVID reduce, while still keeping schools safe places to learn. This requires us to deploy every tool available to balance the risk,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We will be trialling the tests in two ways: a broad surveillance approach, along with close contact testing to reduce initial positive cases on school sites and reduce the amount of time close contact students need to spend away from school.”
The surveillance method will see the kits distributed by schools for use at home by staff and students who are asked to do a test twice a week as part of community surveillance.
“People with a positive result would need to follow up with a regular (PCR) test at a NSW Health testing centre and those who test negative will go on with their normal day-to-day routines assured that they are not infected or at risk of spreading the virus,” Ms Mitchell said.
Unvaccinated students who are close contacts of a positive case will also be able to reduce their isolation time by using the kits on a daily basis.
“NSW Health has advised us that close contacts of COVID positive cases will have their isolation period halved to seven days provided they receive a consistent negative result,” Ms Mitchell said.
“This is about living with a virus and getting back to normal life while ensuring the community is confident in their safety on school sites.
“Our best line of defence against this pandemic remains vaccinations, and until all students are eligible for one we must continue using measures like RAHT kits to keep schools safe.”
Member for Albury Justin Clancy said this was an incredibly challenging period for the community of Albury and any opportunity to minimise disruption for students was welcome.
“While this is a tough time for our community, I’m hopeful this new testing regime will reduce disruption for students and families in the area,” Mr Clancy said.
A positive rapid antigen test doesn’t mean an individual necessarily has COVID-19, it means they need to get a standard (PCR) test straight away to confirm the result.
It is important to note that use of the RAHT kits will be optional, but close contacts who opted not to undertake the daily tests would need to self-isolate for the full 14 days.
NSW says thank you to teachers on World Teachers' Day
World Teachers’ Day is being celebrated across NSW today with Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell encouraging the community to let our 160, 000 teachers know how important they are.
“Great teachers are at the heart of our schools and have a significant impact on young peoples’ lives every day,” Ms Mitchell said.
“They have shown this throughout the pandemic with their tireless commitment to their students.
“More than anything, I am delighted that students are now back in the classroom, where they learn best, and able to celebrate World Teachers’ Day in person with their favourite teachers.
“Today I encourage everyone to take the time to recognise a teacher who has made a positive difference to their own life or the life of their child.”
This year the community can join celebrities including WSFM’s Jonesy and Amanda, Dave Hughes and Claudia Karvan who have come together to say thank you to their own teachers.
“Pretty much every day I think about my high school teachers and how much you set me up for life and I am sure you are doing the same now under stressful conditions. Thank you for your hard work,” Ms Karvan said.
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has created an e-toolkit to help recognise the impact of an inspiring teacher today.
E-cards, social media badges and tiles, digital badges to add to photo and video messages, a colouring-in page and backgrounds for online meetings are available to download from the NESA website.
More than $24 million invested in police infrastructure for the hunter region
The community of the Hunter region will benefit from a significant investment of more than $24 million in infrastructure following a number of key announcements by the NSW Government today.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott joined the Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin MLC to open the new $17 million purpose-built Cessnock Police Station at an official ceremony today.
The new police station, the result of a 2018 commitment by the Government, includes state-of-the-art connectivity to the neighbouring court complex for prisoner transfer, crime prevention and investigative spaces, traffic and highway command resources and new custody facilities such as a van and charge docks.
The official opening of the Cessnock Police Station coincides with a number of key police infrastructure announcements this week, including:
- a $6.5 million investment to Newcastle Police Station to include a refurbished ground floor and air conditioning upgrades; and
- a further $700,000 upgrade of Maitland Police Station, including increased security coverage and new custody space.
Minister Elliott, who travelled to Maitland, Newcastle and Cessnock for the announcements, said the substantial investment into regional infrastructure provides the NSW Police Force with the resources needed to keep the community of the Hunter safe.
“This Government continues to deliver on its election commitment to invest in a police station infrastructure program to support the vital work of our police women and men across this state,” he said.
“The facility also provides the extra space and resources needed to support the growing number of police allocated to the region. Importantly, the construction of the new Cessnock Police Station added more than 380 jobs to the local economy,” Mr Elliott said.
Deputy Commissioner Corporate Services, Karen Webb, said the multipurpose station is designed to support smaller regional stations to deliver enhanced front-line policing services.
“I hope this town can be proud to call this new policing facility its own – it will protect all, both the community and the officers that serve it,” Deputy Commissioner Webb said.
“This is a major investment into the crime-fighting capabilities in the Hunter Valley. It gives the police in this command the support they need to drive down crime and keep the community safe,” she said.
Fully vaccinated Australians ready for take-off from 1 November 2021
Fully vaccinated Australians will not require an exemption to depart Australia from 1 November 2021.
With millions of Australians now fully vaccinated, and more joining them each and every day, the Morrison Government can safely welcome fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents across Australia’s international border in increasing numbers.
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said the Morrison Government was committed to easing restrictions for fully vaccinated Australians, in line with soaring vaccination rates and the National Plan to transition Australia’s COVID-19 response.
“Our first priority is Australian citizens and permanent residents and today we are delivering on that by removing restrictions on fully-vaccinated Australians travelling out of Australia. The easing of these restrictions is possible thanks to our impressive national vaccination rates, and I thank all those who have done the right thing and rolled up their sleeve,” Minister Andrews said.
“I look forward to further easing restrictions over coming weeks and months as more and more Australians become fully vaccinated. Before the end of the year, we anticipate welcoming fully vaccinated skilled workers and international students.
“Our system of border exemptions has kept Australia free from widespread COVID transmission for more than 18 months, but as Australia’s vaccination rate continues to climb, and the end of the year approaches, the Morrison Government stands ready to once more welcome a significant number of fully vaccinated people across Australia’s international border.”
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said increases in COVID-19 vaccination meant changes to the Human Biosecurity Determination on outbound international travel could now safely be made. These changes have been made on medical advice regarding the protection provided by COVID-19 vaccination for travelling Australians.
“Australian citizens and permanent residents who want to travel overseas, will need to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated with a TGA approved or recognised vaccine, with the second dose occurring at least seven days prior to travel. These changes will also facilitate travel by children under 12 years of age,” Minister Hunt said.
“We want Australians to be able to reunite with their loved ones, whether it’s for births, weddings or just to visit family. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect our community against COVID-19 and I’d like to thank every single Australian who has come forward and received a COVID-19 vaccine, which has helped us get to this point.”
People who do not meet these eligibility requirements will continue to require a travel exemption to travel overseas, and will be subject to current passenger caps and quarantine arrangements (managed by states and territories) when returning to Australia.
More information can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website. Travellers should also familiarise themselves with state and territory quarantine arrangements.
New changes to the Human Biosecurity Determinations also clarify the arrangements for incoming international travel by creating clear exemptions for medical evacuation flights and people who are ‘persistent shedders’ of the COVID-19 virus.
They also simplify the pre-flight testing requirements to be three days (rather than 72 hours) and ensure that decisions on exemptions to testing are taken on the basis of recent medical advice.
The Australian Government is committed to protecting all Australians from COVID-19, and balancing the desire of international visitors to come to Australia.
Appropriate steps to mitigate the risk of existing or emerging strains of COVID-19 must be a part of our plan to reopen Australia to the world.
More information on pre-departure testing and requirements for masks during the flight is available on the Department of Health website.
Nominate now for inaugural Meg Purser Scholarship
Applications are being invited for a new scholarship established to honour the memory of Newcastle businesswoman Meg Purser.
Undergraduate students completing the second year of their Communications degree at the University of Newcastle can apply for the $5000 scholarship, with the inaugural recipient to be named in April next year.
Meg Purser was a successful communications professional who is remembered for her charitable and behind-the-scenes work for organisations such as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, Hunter Breast Screen and Got Your Back Sista.
She invested considerable time in mentoring young people and worked tirelessly to make a positive contribution to the city until her passing in January this year following an 18-month battle with breast cancer.
City of Newcastle established the scholarship with the blessing of Meg’s father Bob, to honour the significant contribution Meg made to the corporate communications community and recognise her passion for the many local community organisations and charities she supported.
The scholarship provides key financial support for high performing Communications students who share Meg’s values and community-focused qualities. A new recipient will be selected each year, with the initial agreement funding the scholarship for the next three years.
Applications will close on 28 February 2022. Visit the University of Newcastle website for more details.
City of Newcastle offers several other scholarships through the University of Newcastle, including the Lord Mayor’s Scholarship and the Lord Mayor’s Scholarship for Women, which aim to support students studying an undergraduate degree who are experiencing financial hardship.