16 News

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the proposed final version of the Job-Ready Graduates legislation has worsened the bill, not improved it.
Senator Faruqi said:
“The amended package fixes none of the fatal flaws of the Tehan bill.
“In fact, the Nationals have made things worse for students and universities alike, with even larger fee increases and funding cuts baked into the bill to benefit a few students.
“Government funding for places in courses like education, English, maths and allied health has been slashed by $250 per place.
“Fees are now higher for students studying courses like English, maths and engineering, all thanks to the Nationals.The collective impact of this will be hundreds of millions in extra debt.
“The Nationals might have enjoyed striking this grubby deal but it has only worsened what was already a dud bill,” she said.

The Australian Government today releases the review findings into the spread of COVID-19 at Sydney aged care facility Newmarch House.
In offering further condolences to the families of the 19 residents who died as a result of the outbreak between April and June, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck said lessons learned are being implemented to offer greater protections as we continue to combat the pandemic.
“The outbreak at Anglicare’s Newmarch House was incredibly challenging and underlined the impact this infection can have within an aged care facility,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Australian Government is committed to learning from the experience at Newmarch House and to doing all we can to ensure aged care providers are prepared to address future outbreaks so that residents receive safe and quality care.”
In June 2020, the Chief Medical Officer and now Secretary of the Department of Health, Professor Brendan Murphy, commissioned Professor Lyn Gilbert and Adjunct Professor Alan Lilly undertook the independent review.
They consulted with stakeholders, including family members of residents, to provide a comprehensive break down of what led to the outbreak and how authorities responded to it.
Minister Colbeck said the review is an important resource for all levels of government which would improve the management of potential future outbreaks and inform advice and guidance to support the aged care sector.
“We continue to integrate the learnings from Newmarch and infections in Victoria into the national response as outbreaks occur,” Minister Colbeck said.
Changes already implemented include:

• Ensuring early identification of all COVID-19 cases via immediate and repeated testing of all residents and staff as soon as the first case is identified;
• Actions to reinforce compromised management;
• Immediate engagement of advocacy group Older People’s Advocacy Network (OPAN) to ensure services and information are available to providers, residents and their families;
• The provision of support from the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (in Victoria) to improve communication, staff and management support;
• Expansion of surge workforce providers for facilities affected by outbreaks; and
• Practical additional infection control training, including support from AUSMAT.

Additionally, the Australian Government is supporting the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in its monitoring efforts.
The Commission continues to take decisive steps related to the issuing of corrective action to ensure providers and management respond appropriately and levels of care are met.
Minister Colbeck said throughout the pandemic there has also been regular, ongoing communication to the aged care sector about managing outbreaks, including providing updated advice incorporating learnings from Australia and other countries.
The Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) outbreak guidelines are supported by a ‘First 24 hours’ document, published by the Department, which also provides aged care facilities with practical steps they should take in order, following the identification of a positive COVID case.
“Each of these implemented actions, are another step toward reinforcing the sector and ultimately protecting senior and vulnerable Australians,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Government’s measures to tackle COVID-19 in aged care now exceeds $1 billion.”
The independent review into the impact of COVID-19 at Newmarch House can be found on the website.

People experiencing acute respiratory symptoms, however mild, should make an appointment at their local respiratory clinic and see a GP free, which includes any relevant treatment and testing for COVID-19.
All GP-led respiratory clinics, staffed by highly skilled professionals, are part of the Australian Government’s comprehensive and rapid response to minimise the spread of COVID-19.
There are now 146 respiratory clinics open. Twenty are part of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and 82 are located in regional Australia. The clinics are serving people from more than 2,200 postcodes nationally covering 98.5 per cent of the Australian population.
More than half a million consultations have taken place nationally within the respiratory clinics, with over 440,000 tests for COVID-19 conducted.
This is an incredible achievement and demonstrates the commitment of the GPs and other health professionals to support the fight against COVID-19.
The Australian Government is providing particular support to Victoria as it combats the COVID-19 outbreak at its 28 GP-led respiratory clinics.
The clinics in Victoria have assessed more than 153,200 people and conducted more than 138,000 tests. These clinics are seeing approximately 70 per cent more patients per day when compared to pre-outbreak assessments in early June.
We encourage Victorians to continue to be tested so we can identify where new break-outs of the virus are occurring and ultimate support the efforts to control its spread.
The Government acknowledges the work of all of the respiratory clinics, who have shown great resilience and commitment to supporting their local community, including building additional capacity when needed through staffing and opening hours.
In NSW, 51 GPRCs have assessed more than 201,600 people and conducted over 180,900 tests. Five weeks ago, the NSW Clinics increased their capacity by approximately 40 per cent.
In March, the Australian Government announced a $2.4 billion health package to protect all Australians, including vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those with chronic conditions and Indigenous communities, from COVID-19.
The package provides unprecedented support across primary care, aged care, hospitals, research and the national medical stockpile including $206.7 million to establish GP respiratory clinics.
These clinics are proving to be a vital part of the Government’s strategy to keep the health system functioning.
The respiratory clinics provide a safe and specialised service for people who have cold and flu symptoms while preserving hospitals for people with severe injuries and disease, and general practices for usual care and chronic disease management.
The Government has a deep respect and gratitude for the GPs and other health professionals on the frontline of this pandemic.
We can all help our frontline health professionals to slow the spread and stay COVIDSafe by practising good hygiene and physical distancing, following the limits for public gatherings, understanding how to isolate if you need to, and by downloading the COVIDSafe app.
If there are no clinics near you, contact your doctor, local community health service or local hospital for assistance. Make sure you phone ahead and discuss your symptoms before you visit in person.
For more information on where to find your nearest coronavirus testing clinic, please visit health.gov.au, DHHS Victoria or your state or territory health department website.

The National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s economic recovery, Australia’s COVID-19 health and aged care responses and the Victorian outbreak.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, provided an update on the measures underway, the latest data and health advice in relation to COVID-19.
There have been over 24,000 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 472 people have died.
The outbreak in Victoria has meant that there are now around 5,000 active cases in Australia. Daily infection rates have remained low in all states and territories, other than Victoria. At the national level testing remains high, with more than 5.5 million tests undertaken.
National Cabinet recommitted to providing as much support as necessary to Victoria during this very difficult time. The National Cabinet noted the advice from Professor Kelly that the epidemiological situation in Victoria had improved and the numbers of cases in Victoria has reduced from its peak.
National Cabinet again agreed the need to continue to have the right controls in place to test more people, trace those who test positive and contain local outbreaks when they occur. These are fundamental to reducing the spread of the virus.
Seven of Australia’s eight states and territories are successfully implementing the suppression strategy for COVID-19, with the goal of no community transmission, enabling Australians in those jurisdictions to live and work in a COVID-safe economy.
National Cabinet agreed to release a weekly set of data on the common operating picture of COVID-19 responses across states and territories.
National Cabinet discussed the updated economic outlook following the additional restrictions imposed in Victoria and the changes to the JobKeeper program announced in response to these restrictions.
The Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Philip Lowe, and the Treasury Secretary, Steven Kennedy, provided National Cabinet with an economic update. Both reiterated that the biggest economic challenge that faces Australia is jobs and unemployment.
The Governor outlined there is a need for a coordinated focus from all levels of government on three key areas:

1. Income support programs which includes the substantial investments already made in JobKeeper and JobSeeker;
2. Investments in our physical capital including infrastructure and human capital via skills and training; and
3. Greater ease of doing business through lower and efficient taxes and less regulation

Combined with the health response, the Commonwealth economic and balance sheet measures now total more than $314 billion, and along with the response from the state and territories of $48 billion, significant economic support is flowing into the economy.
Given the economic challenges, the Governor called on state and territory governments to provide more fiscal support, with additional support of 2 per cent of GDP, or around $40 billion over two years, needed from states and territories to support economic growth. Mr Lowe outlined that this expenditure needs to be purposeful and achieve the maximum economic dividend, and not lead to permanent or structural increases in government expenditure.
National Cabinet also noted progress made on skills reform and that all states and territories have now signed the Heads of Agreement for the $1 billion Skills and JobTrainer Programme.
Aged Care Emergency Response Plan
National Cabinet endorsed the Commonwealth, State and Territory Plan to Boost Aged Care Preparedness for a Rapid Emergency Response to COVID-19 Plan.
Noting that there were existing protocols and arrangements between states and the Commonwealth that were effective and worked well in support of aged care preparedness, National Cabinet agreed that in the event of significant change in circumstances, particularly with respect to community transmission of COVID-19, either the relevant jurisdiction or the Commonwealth would be able to initiate the establishment of emergency response centres on a bilaterally agreed basis.
The Plan will strengthen the preparedness for responding to a rapid escalation of COVID-19 in the aged care sector. It includes a high-level series of actions for Commonwealth, state and territory Governments to strengthen aged care emergency response preparedness. These actions include:

• Ongoing assessment of the preparedness of aged care providers to respond to outbreaks of COVID-19, including a risk profiling tool developed by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to inform emergency response planning;
• An audit of State and Territory Emergency Response Capabilities to support the establishment of a joint aged care emergency response;
• Additional face to face infection control training.

The National Cabinet also endorsed a guide to assist in the establishment of an Aged Care Health Emergency Response Operations Centre should it be required in the future in other states and territories. These Operations Centres will supplement and boost capacity to respond to outbreaks of COVID-19 in residential aged care settings. They will be consistent and complementary to, and fully integrated with Commonwealth and state/territory public health and aged care emergency response arrangements. National Cabinet acknowledged that these arrangements are not currently required.
A time-limited AHPPC Aged Care Advisory Group will be established to support the national public health emergency response to COVID-19 in aged care. The Advisory Group will bring together expertise about the aged care sector, infection control, emergency preparedness and public health response.
The Commonwealth Government will provide $171 million in additional support to the Aged Care Sector to increase national preparedness and respond to the State of Disaster in Victoria which brings the Commonwealth’s Aged Care COVID-19 response to over $1 billion in support.
Support includes:

• Victorian Aged Care Response Centre – $9.1 million to support a coordinated response between the Commonwealth and Victorian Government agencies to fight COVID-19 in Residential Aged Care.
• Aged Care COVID-19 Preparedness – an additional $103.4 million to:
  • increase nation-wide workforce surge support for aged care providers experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak;
  • activate national emergency call centre surge capability to support communication efforts with residents’ families;
  • fund compressed training for new workers;
  • cover quarantine costs for interstate staff deployed for workforce surge; and
  • strengthen the capacity to support aged care residents and their families with the grief and trauma associated with a COVID-19 outbreak.
• Supporting Aged Care Quality and Safety Monitoring for Aged Care Services – an additional $9 million to ensure quality care is maintained by supporting the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to continue its critical work supporting aged care providers across the country to prepare for and respond to COVID-19 outbreaks
• Aged Care Workforce – a further $50.6 million to be provided to extend funding for the second instalment of the aged care workforce retention payment, due to be paid in September 2020.

Mental Health
National Cabinet discussed the impact of the pandemic on key wellbeing and safety outcomes, including mental health, online safety and family and domestic violence, and noted the increase in contact with crisis helplines. National Cabinet agreed to continue to work together to monitor these areas and continue to track areas of concern and to share data.
Vaccine Strategy
National Cabinet welcomed the Commonwealth Government’s COVID-19 Vaccine and Treatment Strategic Approach and the in principle agreement in place between the Commonwealth and AstraZeneca for the supply of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for Australians, once safety and efficacy had been proven.
Further the Prime Minister updated National Cabinet on the advanced progress of further arrangements for research and development, vaccine supply and manufacturing including the Commonwealth and Queensland Government funded University of Queensland – CSL, molecular clamp vaccine.
Domestic Border Management
National Cabinet noted some recent changes by states and territories to make it easier for Australians to cross borders, subject to restrictions, and access essential services and activities.
National Cabinet noted discussions had commenced on an Agriculture Workers Code and agreed further work be undertaken by Agriculture Ministers so that a paper could be considered by National Cabinet at its next meeting. The Agriculture Workers Code, will provide for a nationally-consistent approach that would be enforced by relevant states and territories through their Public Health Orders and emergency management measures. It would apply to individuals with occupations deemed critical to ensure the continuity of the agricultural sector.
National Cabinet also agreed that the AHPPC develop a common understanding to define a hotspot and consider movement restrictions relating to a hotspot.
Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Workers
National Cabinet agreed to resume the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) to help with workforce shortages. The approach has been informed by the trial recruitment of Pacific workers in the Northern Territory to address labour shortages affecting mango farmers. States and territories will decide whether to access the arrangement.
Employing Australians remains a priority for all Governments. Employers can only recruit through the Pacific labour mobility programs if they can demonstrate they cannot find suitable Australian workers through labour market testing.
Protecting Australian and Pacific workers from COVID-19 is also a key priority. States and territories that would like to participate in the arrangement will ensure sufficient health and quarantine system capacity.
National Cabinet will meet again on 4 September 2020.