The City of Newcastle is developing a Community and Economic Resilience package, to assist Novocastrians through a period of unprecedented social and economic disruption caused by the spread of COVID-19.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said City of Newcastle is taking proactive actions that will benefit our community in what is perhaps the City’s greatest ever challenge.
“People may be isolated for periods of time, small businesses will face supply chain issues and reduced economic activity, and the unemployment rate is likely to rise.
“Collectively, we can get through this and City of Newcastle is doing all that it can to facilitate community and economic resilience.”
Part of City of Newcastle’s work includes the development of a Community and Economic Resilience Response.
“This situation requires us to consider how we can deliver economic and well-being outcomes that will support our community,” Cr Nelmes said.
“The principles we have used are about expanding existing platforms and focusing on strategic legacy items for economic and community resilience.
“For example, we will look at ways of developing our local skills base, accelerating digital literacy for small business and growing community cohesion.
“Talented and diverse teams across the City of Newcastle are also putting together measures in response to COVID-19.
“These resilience measures are being informed by international experts and seek to focus on areas where local government can support local businesses and organisations do what they do best.
“The measures will complement the previously announced Federal and NSW Government stimulus packages.
“A second phase of the resilience package likely to be announced in May will be a multi-million dollar increase in the City’s planned capital works program for the next financial year.
“Newcastle has a long history of dealing with economic adversity, which gives us the confidence to know that as a community we can get through this together. It will be challenging and have personal impact, but with community mindedness, we will come out the other side,” Cr Nelmes added.
The COVID-19 economic resilience package will be considered at Tuesday night’s ordinary council meeting and then factored into the City’s upcoming Quarterly Budget Review.
Further information about the City’s response is available at newcastle.nsw.gov.au/covid-19.
NEW RULES ALLOW SUPERMARKETS TO RECEIVE DELIVERIES 24/7
Supermarkets across the State are now able to receive deliveries 24 hours a day to restock their shelves under new rules introduced by the NSW Government.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Government had moved to override local council rules that restrict some stores from restocking their shelves and operating their loading docks outside regular business hours.
“We need to make sure these products can move from factories to shelves as quickly as possible,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We are moving quickly so truck drivers can make deliveries to supermarkets around the clock.
“It is important that people now stop unnecessary panic buying.”
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said the State Environmental Planning Policy Amendment (COVID-19 Response) 2020 makes clear that truck deliveries are able to supply shops and retailers with essential goods at all times to support communities.
“Councils and retailers have been working well together to allow greater flexibility in delivery hours, and this change gives everyone the certainty we need to ensure these deliveries can continue,” Mr Stokes said.
“The SEPP makes clear that truck deliveries are able to supply shops and retailers with essential goods at all times.”
The new rules apply immediately and will be kept in place until the crisis is over.
Border Restrictions
Australia is closing its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents.
The entry ban takes effect from 9pm AEDT Friday, 20 March 2020, with exemptions only for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family, including spouses, legal guardians and dependants.
New Zealand citizens who live in Australia as Australian residents are also exempt, as are New Zealanders transiting to New Zealand. Exemptions for Pacific Islanders transiting to their home countries will continue to apply.
Australian citizens and permanent residents and those exempt from our entry restrictions will continue to be subject to a strict 14 days self-isolation.
Our number one priority is to slow the spread of coronavirus to save lives.
Our government has taken this unprecedented step because around 80 per cent of coronavirus cases in Australia are people who caught the virus overseas before entering Australia, or people who have had a direct contact with someone who has returned from overseas.
Our previous travel and entry restrictions have already meant that daily travel to Australia by non-citizens has been reduced to about one third of what it was this time last year.
We also strongly urge Australians looking to return home to do so as soon as possible. This follows our upgraded travel advice for all Australians not to travel overseas, at all.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide consular advice and assistance, but the capacity for DFAT to provide consular services may be limited by local restrictions on movement, as well as the full scale of the challenges posed by coronavirus.
Australians who cannot, or do not want to, return home should follow the advice of local authorities and minimise their risk of coronavirus exposure by self-isolating.
The government is in discussions with airlines about the continuance of some international flights for the purpose of bringing Australians home and continuing the movement of goods and freight.
These challenges vary and the situation is changing rapidly.
Our government will continue to act on the best available information to keep Australians safe.
Government to Invest up to $15b in Support of SME Lending
The Morrison Government today announced an investment of up to $15 billion to enable smaller lenders to continue supporting Australian consumers and small businesses.
The Government’s actions will enable customers of smaller lenders to continue to access affordable credit as the world deals with the significant challenges presented by the spread of coronavirus.
Small lenders are critical to Australia’s lending markets, often driving innovation and providing competition for larger lenders.
This funding will complement the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA’s) announcement of a $90 billion term funding facility for authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) that will also support lending to small and medium enterprises.
Combined, these measures will support the continued ability of lenders to support their customers and in doing so the Australian economy.
The Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM) will be provided with an investment capacity of $15 billion to invest in wholesale funding markets used by small ADIs and non-ADI lenders.
The $15 billion capacity would allow the AOFM to support a substantial volume of expected issuance by these lenders over a 12 month period.
Importantly the assets being purchased by the AOFM will not be limited to residential mortgage backed securities. The AOFM will also be able to invest in a range of other asset backed securities and warehouse facilities. The Government will provide the AOFM with investment guidelines that will outline the basis on which the AOFM is to undertake these investments.
Enabling legislation will be introduced in the week commencing Monday, 23 March 2020. The AOFM is expected to be able to begin investing by April.
Employment Growth in February 2020
The Morrison Government welcomes the ABS labour force figures released today exceeding market expectations in February 2020, with employment increasing by 26,700 over the month, to stand at a record high, of more than 13 million.
Over the year to February 2020, employment has risen by 256,300 (or 2.0 per cent), above the decade average growth rate, of 1.8 per cent.
Whilst these figures do not reflect the economic impact of the spread of COVID-19, it shows the strength of Australia’s economy going into the international crisis.
Full-time employment increased by 6,700 over the month, to a record high of 8,884,600 in February 2020, and is now 144,300 (or 1.7 per cent) higher than it was a year ago.
Full-time employment has comprised 56.3 per cent of total employment growth over the last year.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points over the month, to 5.1 per cent in February 2020.
The Minister for Employment, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, welcomed today’s positive figures noting that 1,538,400 jobs had been created since the Government came to office, an increase of 13.4 per cent.
The Minister cautioned, however, that COVID-19 is likely to have a substantial impact on global and domestic economic growth, as well as labour market activity, going forward.
“In order to help protect both the health and jobs of all Australians, the Morrison Government has moved quickly to put in place scalable and sustainable measures to help cushion the negative impact of the coronavirus,” she said.
“Last week, we announced the first step in the recovery with a $17.6 billion economic stimulus package to help boost investment and confidence, strengthen the economy, keep businesses operating and support Australian jobs.”
“We do not underestimate the significant challenges resulting from COVID-19 that lie ahead. This is why the Government stands ready to enact further measures to help strengthen the safety net, bolster the economy’s defences and protect Australian businesses and jobs.”
The Federal Government will continue to work collaboratively with the experts and our State and Territory counterparts, in order to respond decisively and effectively to the health and economic challenges that confront us during this pandemic
Statement on Blackbutt Reserve
Blackbutt Reserve’s 182 hectares of eucalypt bushland, trails and recreational facilities remain open as the City continues to work with the State and Federal Government on limiting the spread of COVID-19.
However, activities and services requiring Blackbutt staff to have close contact with members of the public have been suspended in line with current social-separation guidelines (social distancing) to protect visitors, staff and volunteers.
All wildlife shows, animal encounters, public-feeding talks and the operation of the kiosk are suspended until further notice, with bookings for private encounters to be fully refunded.
Bookings for Blackbutt’s BBQ shelters will be honoured should customers choose to proceed.
For more information on our response to COVID-19, visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
Events and public gatherings
Event updates
In response to NSW Health Public Health Order, several events to be held in Newcastle have confirmed changes to their planned event. The list of events below includes all available information at the time of publication. This list relates to those events planned to be held on Newcastle community lands under a City of Newcastle event licence. It will be updated regularly as new information is received.
Please contact the event organiser/promoter directly for the latest information on any planned event.
For Council facility and venue events, see each of the facility listings further down this page.
- View the list of events (PDF) as at 19 March 2020
Events and programs at our facilities
We would like to reassure visitors that City of Newcastle is working in collaboration with government partners to ensure our City is prepared in the event of further spread of COVID-19 to the region.
We urge all visitors to follow the advice of government health authorities with regard to maintaining good hygiene practices. If you are feeling unwell the advice is to stay at home.
Please find information below about programming changes at our venues and facilities.
We urge all visitors to follow the advice of government health authorities with regard to maintaining good hygiene practices. If you are feeling unwell the advice is to stay at home.
Please find information below about programming changes at our venues and facilities.
We will provide updates on events and public gatherings on this page. Find out more on how Council is responding.
Statement on events and sponsorships amid COVID-19
City of Newcastle is continuing to work with the State and Federal Government on limiting the spread of COVID-19.
Following restrictions placed on events under the NSW Government Public Health Order, which states outdoor events of more than 500 must not be held before 14 June 2020, the City is implementing a number of measured responses.
Since the Order was issued, the City has been notified of around 30 cancellations or postponements of public events on community land.
For licensed events that have notified the City of cancellation, we will refund the application fee. Similarly, application fees will be refunded for any sports licences that have been issued for events now cancelled.
The City is also supporting event organisers postpone to another date free of charge, providing their preferred new date is available.
Given the current uncertainty around events, the City’s annual Event Sponsorship Program (ESP) will be deferred until after the Public Health Order is repealed. This will give event organisers more certainty when planning their event and related sponsorship applications. The City will provide more information as soon as a new opening date for the program is confirmed.
The City continues to plan a proposed flagship cultural event previously scheduled for later in 2020. While it had been scheduled to fit the national cultural festival calendar, the timing is now under review as we work with the cultural and arts sector on new programming.
The City’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Team meets daily to assess the latest advice and formulate plans for maintaining services.
The health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce are its paramount concerns, and the City has implemented a daily update for employees on the response, including advice around social distancing and hygiene.
The response to COVID-19, including how social distancing should work for City of Newcastle employees, is developing in line with advice from our Government partners daily.
Should it be necessary, the City’s indoor workforce is well placed to work from home given the recent rollout of laptops and migration to cloud-based services.
For more information on cancellations and events and programs at our facilities, go to https://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Council/News/Latest-News/Events-and-public-gatherings
NSW COVID-19 RESPONSE HEADQUARTERS
Experts from across the NSW Government have been brought together under one roof to lead the State’s coordinated, emergency response to the evolving COVID-19 situation.
Starting this week, experts from more than 20 critical agencies including Police, Education and Transport will join NSW Health in the purpose-built operations centre at the Rural Fire Services headquarters in Homebush.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) would allow all arms of government to respond quickly to COVID-19.
“Having all of our experts across many government agencies under the one roof will allow us to respond quickly to this emerging health crisis in a coordinated way,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said this was another proactive step from the NSW Government to slow the spread of COVID-19
“Embedding Health operations teams with other critical agencies will ensure clear, up-to-date information and communication to action decisions to protect the wider community,” Minister Hazzard said.
The SEOC will be led by Deputy Police Commissioner, Gary Worboys, who said this will be a central hub where experts can monitor the situation in real time and coordinate response efforts.
“The SEOC will be operating 24/7, with the team accessing the advanced technology at RFS headquarters, including live information, intelligence sharing, digital mapping, as well as public information and media broadcasting resources so we can quickly get critical information to the public,” Mr Worboys said.
“COVID-19 is affecting so many parts of our state, from transport to education and business, and it is critical for the SEOC to bring everyone together to share information, develop effective plans and take immediate action.”
COVID-19 response from Disability Reform Council "appalling": Greens
Australian Greens disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has described the COAG Disability Reform Council’s (DRC) response to COVID-19 as appalling
Senator Steele-John has called on the DRC to act with more urgency, and provide more clarity about the impacts COVID-19 will have on disabled people, our families and our support networks.
“Yesterday’s meeting was an opportunity for the DRC to show that they are listening to the disability community and take urgent action. They’ve failed to do either; their response has been too slow and frankly, does not respond appropriately to the urgent needs of our community,” Steele-John said.
“What we needed from yesterday’s meeting was a comprehensive action plan to ensure that people in our community who are at risk have access to the right information and appropriate supports to get through this crisis. What we got was a list of so-called priorities that didn’t cover half all of our concerns or have a clear timeline for action.
“Critically, a dedicated hotline and a phone-based outreach program for people who are at risk must be established to provide support, carry out well-being checks and reassure the community that their needs will be met. The list of priorities identified by the DRC is also lacking in several key areas.
“Disabled people need a commitment that throughout the life of this crisis there will be equal access to healthcare for all and that all steps will be taken to ensure our hospital system is accessible and inclusive for all.
“It is not good enough to say that “appropriate consideration” will be given to disabled people as part of the health response; our community needs to know that people will get the healthcare they need, when they need it.
“There has been no mention of the need to develop a stand-by workforce to ensure that disabled people who need support can have certainity that they will be able to get it, even if their usual service provider is compromised.
“Access to increased funding for disabled people where needed to ensure that we can continue to access services and supports is critical, just as it is critical to support service providers.
“The outcomes of this meeting have failed to address the urgency of the issues disabled people face and the DRC must now act.”
Senator Steee-John said the Greens support the recommendations made by Australian peak disability organisations in response to the COAG Disability Reform Council, which can be found here.