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Boosting COVID-19 Vaccination Support for Indigenous Australians

The Australian Government is further boosting the vaccination program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across 30 priority areas to ensure all Australians can access a COVID-19 vaccine.
Since the start of the vaccination program the Government has been working closely with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), states and territories and other Indigenous organisations to ensure every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person has the opportunity to get vaccinated. Now with increased supplies and in response to current outbreak situations the Government is significantly boosting efforts to expedite vaccination uptake.
In partnership with NACCHO, states and territories, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) and other Indigenous stakeholders, the Australian Government will immediately accelerate the vaccination program in 30 priority areas including:

Western Australia– Greater Geraldton, Swan, Gosnells, Derby – West Kimberley, Port Hedland – South Hedland, Kalgoorlie – Boulder, Goldfields Esperance Region.
Queensland – Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Fraser Coast, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Mackay, Mareeba, Mission River, Moreton Bay, Normanton, Palm Island, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Townsville
New South Wales– Central Coast and Wollongong areas
Northern Territory – Greater Darwin, North-East Arnhem Land and Barkly
South Australia– Port Lincoln

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said this builds on work done to date in partnership with NACCHO, the ACCHS, and the Royal Flying Doctors Service to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a culturally safe and appropriate way.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been a priority for vaccination since the beginning stages of the national vaccination program, considerable effort has been taken to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are readily and widely available for communities,” Minister Hunt said.
“We are absolutely committed to seeing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander vaccination rates meet, if not exceed, the national target.”
Minister Wyatt said there has been significant work done to date to work with communities to tackle their individual needs and concerns, including countering vaccine hesitancy, in order to boost vaccination uptake.
“It’s my hope that every Indigenous Australian gets vaccinated – local Indigenous leaders across the country are playing a pivotal role in helping us achieve high vaccination rates, combat misinformation, and dispel vaccine myths,” Minister Wyatt said.
The boost to the rollout for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will build on the work already underway in Western New South Wales regions where Indigenous vaccination rates for first doses increased from 44.2 per cent to 67.8 per cent and for second doses from 26.1 per cent to 39.7 per cent over the past four weeks.
The Government will immediately provide an additional $7.7 million to NACCHO to amplify efforts to reduce the vaccination gap by working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ACCHS and other organisations supporting the vaccination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This will include:

Additional vaccine liaison officers employed to work directly with remote and very remote communities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in discrete communities in other areas.
Boosting work alongside vaccine providers to support community engagement activities and providing culturally safe messaging, address vaccine hesitancy, facilitate informed consent and conduct health promotion activities.

This is in addition to $19 million provided to NACCHO to date, to support the crucial role of ACCHS in the pandemic response.
Chief Executive of NACCHO, Pat Turner AM, said working with communities was critical to ensuring a successful vaccine rollout for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and welcomes the Australian Government’s ongoing partnership with NACCHO and our sector.
“The recent outbreaks have demonstrated the need to accelerate the vaccine rollout for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. NACCHO continues to play a critical role in addressing hesitancy and ensuring timely and culturally appropriate information is provided to communities to encourage vaccinations,” Ms Turner said.
“This additional funding will further bolster our work in supporting all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to access a vaccine by the end of this year.”
Throughout the pandemic, the Government has worked in partnership with First Nations communication companies to develop editorial, social and advertising to reach the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audience.
To further boost these efforts, the Government will also fund First Nations Media Australia, the national peak body for the First Nations media and communications industry, to produce and distribute a package of culturally appropriate public relations content to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples about the vaccine rollout.

The partnership includes a range of activities that are planned to support the vaccine rollout, aiming to broaden the conversation around vaccinations, address misinformation and build positive sentiment and intention toward vaccination by using local and trusted voices and sharing positive stories.
The work will be undertaken by a number of local Indigenous media organisations across the country, with a particular emphasis on the areas that are included in the acceleration plan.
This builds on the Australian Government’s National Vaccination Communications Campaign, which continues to deliver tailored communication to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences as a priority.
The Australian Government will continue to work with state and territory governments, NACCHO, ACCHS, the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and other Indigenous stakeholders to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the opportunity to be vaccinated.
Data on the 30 priority areas will be updated weekly and will be available at Health.gov.au.

NSW lifts curfew in LGAs of concern

Curfews in Sydney’s Local Government Areas (LGAs) of concern have now been lifted, as the state hits the milestone of 80 per cent of the adult population with one dose of the COVID vaccine.
Curfews have been lifted in the LGAs of concern:

Bayside
Blacktown
Burwood
Campbelltown
Canterbury-Bankstown
Cumberland
Fairfield
Georges River
Liverpool
Parramatta
Strathfield
Penrith for the following suburbs: Caddens, Claremont Meadows, Colyton, Erskine Park, Kemps Creek, Kingswood, Mount Vernon, North St Marys, Orchard Hills, Oxley Park, St Clair and St Marys.

This is a whole-of-government decision based on the advice of our health and police experts.
While the NSW community has achieved this fantastic milestone, it is critical that we do not let our guard down.
We continue to ask the community to follow the stay-at-home rules, limit their movement and do all they can to keep everyone safe.
NSW Health continues to urge everyone in these LGAs, and throughout NSW, to get vaccinated, get tested immediately if they have even the mildest of symptoms and isolate until they receive a negative result.
High rates of testing are critical to detecting transmission and preventing further spread of COVID-19 in the community.
For the latest information or to book a vaccination appointment visit nsw.gov.au/covid-19

COVID support payments expanded for workers and vulnerable communities across NSW

The NSW Government today announced an additional $287.5 million in COVID-19 financial support to assist workers and vulnerable communities in metropolitan, regional and rural NSW.
The additional funding will see the COVID-19 emergency hardship payments, test and isolate support payments and community empowerment grants expanded across all of NSW.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the funds will assist workers and vulnerable people under financial strain due to the COVID-19 restrictions across the State.
“The expansion and extension of the emergency hardship payment will provide assistance to people across all of NSW who are under severe financial strain but are not eligible for other support payments and grants,” Mr Barilaro said.
“The test and isolate payment will help people to test early and isolate if they have COVID symptoms. This payment will help take the pressure off if an individual does not have access to leave entitlements or other support payments.
“Grants for culturally and linguistically diverse groups have also been expanded to connect multicultural communities with essential services throughout the pandemic.”
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the new $287.5 million funding commitment is in addition to the NSW Government’s existing commitment of $7.7 billion in COVID-19 support measures.
“As lockdown continues, we want to make sure support is provided where it’s needed and no communities are forgotten,” Mr Perrottet said.
“We’re providing those under severe financial strainmoney in their bank accounts to help them through the lockdown and we’re supporting workers to test early and isolate so we can save lives and livelihoods across the State.
“We’re also supporting multicultural organisations which are best placed to connect migrant communities with vital health services to ensure our vaccination rate keeps climbing – as that’s really key to our State’s recovery.”
The NSW Government’s additional $287.5 million funding commitment includes;

The emergency hardship, one-off payment of $400 administered by the Red Cross which has been expanded to temporary visa/no visa holders in NSW who are facing severe financial hardship and are not eligible for other government income. To apply visit: https://www.redcross.org.au/get-help/help-for-migrants-in-transition/help-for-migrants-in-transition/nsw-relief
The test and isolate payment of $320 which has now been expanded state-wide. It is available for eligible workers aged 17 and over, who have symptoms of COVID-19, to get tested and isolate until a negative result is returned. The payment is available to NSW workers who do not have sick, carer’s or pandemic leave. To apply visit: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-test-and-isolate-support-payment
Community supports grants which have been expanded across NSW to help organisations deliver emergency food relief, promote vaccination and testing services, and provide culturally appropriate support and care to diverse communities.

$100 million upgrade to Eastern Suburbs line

Contracts worth around $100 million will deliver important upgrades to Sydney’s rail network between Erskineville and Bondi Junction, on the T4 Eastern Suburbs line.
The new digital system upgrade will allow trains to run more frequently and ensure a faster network recovery after incidents.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the upgrade will mean signalling information is directly transmitted into the train cab, removing the need for drivers to rely on fixed “traffic light” signals outside the train.
“While traditional signals have served Sydney well for many decades, they are fixed at set locations and limit the railway from operating at its full potential,” Mr Constance said.
“The installation of digital signalling will mean when an incident happens, the network can recover more quickly with reduced delays, which is great news for customers.”
“The new technology allows continual electronic communication between the track and train, ensuring network controllers can build in extra network capacity. Trains can therefore safely run closer together and, once installed across the network, additional services will be able to meet projected future demand.”
Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton said the upgrades will deliver more frequent services for train customers in the Eastern Suburbs.
“This mulit-million dollar investment today ensures our train network can cope with the increasing demands of the future, especially on the busy Eastern Suburbs line.”
Construction between Erskineville and Bondi Junction will begin later this year, with the new system expected to be begin operations in early 2024.
The works are part of the Digital Systems Program that will progressively replace legacy signalling and train control technologies with modern, internationally proven, intelligent systems to boost safety, capacity and reliability on the network.
Earlier this year, the NSW Government signed contracts worth around $110 million to deliver digital signalling on the T4 Sutherland to Cronulla line.

NSW Parliament to resume when safe to do so

The NSW Government has made it clear that Parliament will resume on October 12, to help restrict the spread of COVID-19.
As the Premier has indicated, the NSW Government is looking forward to resuming Parliament sitting in October as we move towards higher vaccination rates and safe sittings.
I formally notified the President of the Legislative Council on Friday, 10 September 2021, that no Government Minister or Parliamentary Secretary would attend the Legislative Council sitting this week, given the clear risks.
I further requested that the President of the Legislative Council postpone this week’s sitting of the House to help protect the health of Members, Parliamentary staff and the families of Parliamentary staff who would be required to attend Parliament unnecessarily, as no business of the House can be conducted without a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary present.
Instead of putting local communities and the health of Parliamentary staff and their families first, Labor and the Crossbench joined forces to ensure the Legislative Council has resumed sitting today, even in circumstances where no formal business can be conducted.
This is a political and selfish stunt, a move which only satisfies their own agenda and as a result puts Parliamentary staff, their families and our communities at risk of transmitting COVID-19.
I call on the Leader of the Opposition Chris Minns to maintain his bipartisan support for the NSW Government’s focus on the health and safety of the people of NSW. Mr Minns should direct the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and all Labor MLCs and their staff to stay at home.
It should be noted a Legislative Assembly cross-party committee agreed to follow the health advice and postpone the scheduled sitting period in September.
Mr Minns and Labor cannot have one policy for the Legislative Assembly and a different policy for the Legislative Council.
Background
During COVID-19 restrictions, the NSW Parliament has conducted eight Budget Estimates hearings and three Public Accountability Committee Hearings.
Currently, there are 24 inquiries open, all of which the Government is cooperating with.
Members of the Legislative Council are still able to ask questions on notice on any weekday.
The NSW Government has made it clear it would make up the lost sitting days.

ADF personnel join NSW Police in the Illawarra

ADF personnel have joined the NSW Police Force in the Illawarra, as part of an expansion of the COVID-19 welfare and compliance checks across NSW.
Police officers will be assisted by ADF personnel as they conduct daily welfare checks and support the wellbeing of those self-isolating.
ADF personnel have been deployed to assist Wollongong and Lake Illawarra Police Districts over the coming weeks.
Southern Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar APM, has welcomed the arrival of troops in the Illawarra.
“The troops are here to support the community alongside police. Locals can expect to see them checking on the welfare of our most vulnerable people.
“Our officers and ADF personnel will be making daily visits and checking in on those who are self-isolating and making sure they’re okay during lockdown,” Assistant Commissioner Cassar said.
“I ask everyone across our region to continue complying with the Public Health Orders and do everything you can to help us prevent further spread of the Delta variant.”
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.

Tree loppers fined for breaching Public Health Orders – Lake Macquarie

Six men have been issued Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) after allegedly breaching the Public Health Orders by leaving Western Sydney and attending Lake Macquarie.
On Tuesday 20 July 2021, officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended a holiday rental property on Yanko Street, Toronto, following reports a group of men had allegedly travelled to the area from Western Sydney to undertake tree lopping services.
Six men – aged between 17 and 59 – told police they had been in the area prior to ‘Stay at Home’ orders being put in place in Greater Sydney and did not intend to return until restrictions lifted.
Further inquiries were conducted in relation to any breaches of the Public Health Order.
On Tuesday 31 August 2021, police were called to an apartment complex in Charlestown after being alerted by NSW Health that a 59-year-old man displaying COVID-19 symptoms had been taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment and a 23-year-old man had left to obtain a COVID-19 test.
It was later confirmed that the older man tested positive for COVID-19; all other men had left the Charlestown apartment prior to police arrival.
Following extensive inquiries, five men were issued with seven $1000 PINs for fail to comply with noticed direction re s 7/8/9 – COVID-19.
An 18-year-old man was also issued with a $200 PIN for failing to wear a fitted face covering in an indoor area-non-residential premises during an unrelated incident at a shopping centre on Thursday 29 July 2021.
Inquiries are ongoing, anyone who wishes to report an alleged breach of the Public Health Orders is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Anyone with information in relation to breaches of the Public Health Orders is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

$472 million investment in Australia’s health and medical research future

To further support Australia’s world-leading medical researchers, the Morrison Government will invest almost half a billion dollars in funding for health and medical research.
Funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), $471.9 million in funding will support hundreds of research leaders and teams around the country to undertake research that will ultimately save lives and make Australians healthier.
This investment includes:

$399.7 million for 254 Investigator Grants, NHMRC’s largest scheme, which provides funding over five years for the highest performing researchers at all career stages.
$44 million for 17 Centres of Research Excellence over five years, building collaborative teams and developing capacity to improve research translation into better health outcomes.
$4.6 million in targeted funding to support four projects developing coordinated and best practice interventions for better care at the end of life.
$1.5 million for collaborative research on osteoarthritis to be funded in partnership with the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health Research.
$1.8 million to fund a clinical trial at Melbourne Health involving combination immune therapy for type 1 diabetes.

In addition, thanks to our Government’s ongoing collaboration with health providers and other sectors, $28.6 million has been committed by partners alongside $20.4 million from the Australian Government to fund 16 projects through the NHMRC Partnership Project scheme.
More than $12 million in funding is dedicated to research on SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – and over $84 million for research in infectious diseases.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt MP, said the over $472 million committed would help Australian researchers continue to make life-changing and life-altering discoveries.
“Every day we acknowledge the extraordinary work of Australia’s health and medical researchers not only to confront the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to continue their outstanding research to find solutions to the ongoing health issues we face,” Minister Hunt said.
“The grants include support for the next generation of research leaders seeking to develop more effective vaccines for respiratory diseases, investigate the missing genetics of rare diseases and help make the revolution in genomic medicine accessible and useful to everyone.”
“Through decades of investment, the NHMRC has helped build the foundations of this critical sector based on competitive, peer-reviewed health and medical research of the highest quality and the highest standards of ethics and integrity.”
Through these funding rounds, NHMRC CEO Professor Anne Kelso said NHMRC also seeks to address the challenges currently facing the health and medical research sector by supporting additional early and mid-career researchers and women in the sector, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and researchers.
“NHMRC funds investigator-led research where Australia’s highest-performing health and medical researchers set out to solve the health problems they see in their community, in their clinical practice and in their own lives.
“As have all sections of the community, the health and medical research sector has contended with the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sector has delivered against these odds, bringing Australia’s best science and scientists to the problem. The remarkable quality of projects funded in these schemes shows that Australia’s health and medical researchers are as passionate and skilled as ever to explore solutions for the range of health problems that concern us most.”
Details of all grants are available on NHMRC’s website.

Application process open for additional COVID-19 vaccination providers

As part of the continued expansion of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout program, businesses are now able to team up with vaccination providers to administer the jabs to staff at their workplace.
Vaccination providers will be able to seek accreditation to administer COVID-19 vaccines at workplaces – similar to the way flu vaccines are administered – through a Request for Tender program that will kick-start Stage 3 of the National COVID Shield Campaign Plan.
Operation COVID Shield has been constantly engaging with the business community throughout the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and this program is a result of that engagement process.
The program will also facilitate acceleration of a range of other vaccine delivery methods, including additional support to vaccinate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other priority groups.
Pfizer or Moderna will be the primary vaccinations administered through the workplace vaccination programs, however workplaces will be able to order AstraZeneca if required.
Millions of Australians have already heeded the call to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones and the community, and the opening of this tender process will add further momentum as we continue to ramp up our vaccination effort.
With the potential to reach Australians at places they already go to every day, this program – the COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Partners Program – will make it even easier for people to get vaccinated, while recognising the eagerness of businesses to help.
It will allow Australia to further increase the overall size of the COVID-19 vaccination workforce, and to use the many offers of assistance from vaccination administrators and Australia’s business community.
The Vaccine Administration Partners Program will establish a panel of accredited COVID-19 vaccination providers that can be accessed by government entities, businesses and other organisations to support vaccination priorities.
The Australian Government will pay accredited COVID-19 vaccination providers on the panel a fixed price per vaccine dose.
Businesses engaging COVID-19 immunisation providers from the panel will negotiate details of the arrangements directly with vaccination providers on the panel.
As with the broader vaccine rollout, businesses cannot seek any payment from patients for administration of the vaccine.
Full details are available on AusTender.

Boost for Flinders Island Aged Care Service

Staff accommodation will be built at Lady Barron on Flinders Island under a Morrison Government grant aimed at strengthening aged care services in remote communities.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, and Member for Bass, Bridget Archer, welcomed the investment under the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Flexible Aged Care (NATSIFAC) Program‘s infrastructure and equipment grants which will see $5.2 million allocated across services to improve the lives of older First Nations people.
The Flinders Island Aboriginal Association (FIAAI) will use $610,000 to build staff accommodation.
FIAAI provides a range of services on Flinders Island including primary health and aged care, housing, youth services and a state-wide “Tackling Smoking Project”.
Ms Archer said the latest investment for Bass would help support the vital work of the Flinders Island Aboriginal Association.
“This funding will not only provide improved accommodation options for staff, but it will also reinforce the important outcomes the association continues to deliver in an isolated region,” Ms Archer said.
Minister Colbeck said the funding underlines the Morrison Government’s commitment to ensure quality of care in remote regions exceeded expectation.
“Whether it is upgrading living spaces, providing quality furniture or installing equipment to fulfil clinical care or security requirements, these grants are an important investment for services in remote and very remote locations across the country,” Minister Colbeck said.
“It is significantly more difficult for these services to upgrade equipment and buildings and maintain accommodation for staff”
Twenty projects, mostly in remote areas of the Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania, will receive grants.
This funding is in addition to the annual investment of around $68 million for service delivery under the NATSIFAC Program and $105.7 million over 4 years from 2018-2019 to 2021-2022 for its expansion.
The NATSIFAC Program funds service providers to deliver flexible, culturally safe aged care to older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people close to home and community.