Category: Australian News

National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s response to COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, the ongoing safe reopening of Australia, resumption of cruising in Australia, approaches to test, trace isolate and quarantine and the vaccine rollout and booster programme.

The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, provided an update on the spread of the Omicron variant. Overall case numbers continue to decline in Australia and the Omicron case variant continues to be the predominant variant in Australia and globally. Omicron continues to show greater infectivity than the Delta variant, but with much less severity in terms of hospitalisations, ICU and ventilated patients.

National Cabinet noted that the Omicron wave has peaked in most states and territories. Since peaks in mid-January, cases have fallen to 20 per cent of peak levels, hospitalisations to 63 per cent of peaks, ICU admissions of peaks and ventilated cases to 54 per cent of peaks.

Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 2,462,729 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 4,431 people have died.

Globally there have been over 402.6 million cases and, sadly, over 5.7 million deaths, with 2,241,749 new cases and 11,664 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.

National Cabinet noted that since the COVID-19 Rapid Test Concessional Access program began, approximately 6.8 million Rapid Antigen Tests have been distributed to 1.6 million eligible concession card holders through community pharmacies.

Lieutenant General John Frewen, DSC, AM, Coordinator General of the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce (Operation COVID Shield) provided a detailed briefing on Australia’s vaccination rollout.

Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to expand. To date 51.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 215,521 doses in the previous 24 hours.

In the previous 7 days, more than 1.3 million vaccines have been administered in Australia. More than 95.8 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 years and over have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 99 per cent of over 50 year olds.

More than 93.9 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over are now fully vaccinated, including more than 98.4 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 99 per cent of Australians over 70 years of age.

Over 9.5 million booster doses have been administered to 46.3 per cent of Australians. More than 75.7 per cent of Australians aged 70 years of age and over have had a booster in the last 14 weeks since the booster program commenced.

More than 46.4 per cent of 5-11 year olds have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the first month of their vaccination program.

National Cabinet will meet again on Friday 11 March.

Phase D of the National Plan

National Cabinet noted the epidemiological advice that the peak of the Omicron wave has passed, with significant falls in the number of cases, hospitalisations and ICU admissions across most states and territories.

National Cabinet discussed the progress to Phase D under the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response. The Commonwealth, states and territories will progressively transition to Phase D including further reopening of international borders and changes to domestic health settings to reduce restrictions on social and economic activities, while safely living with COVID-19. The Commonwealth, states and territories will make decisions over the near term on options to transition to Phase D, with further consideration by the next meeting of National Cabinet.

Resumption of Cruising

National Cabinet discussed the resumption of cruises in Australia, noting that there are shared responsibilities for the resumption of cruises between the Commonwealth, states and territories. National Cabinet agreed that following a decision by the Commonwealth to lift the bio-security orders that currently prevent cruise ships from coming to Australia that states and the Northern Territory would then determine when recommencement of cruises would occur in each jurisdiction, consistent with the previous agreement of the National Cabinet of 5 November 2021.

The Commonwealth, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland agreed to work with the industry to implement new protocols to enable the resumption of cruising over coming months.

Managing Public Health Restrictions on Residential Aged Care Facilities – Interim Guidance

National Cabinet endorsed new Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) advice to improve access to aged care facilities for families of residents.

The guidance considers the current context of the pandemic, and recommends revisions to allow greater flexibility in balancing the need to reduce transmission and the impact of social isolation on residents living in residential aged care facilities.

Specifically, the guidance more effectively balances the implementation of appropriate infection prevention and control measures with a resident’s right to live their life with minimal restrictions including through increased contact with family and loved ones.

National Cabinet endorsed the AHPPC statement on mandatory booster vaccinations in aged care facilities. Implementation of booster shot mandates will be made consistent with arrangements already in place through state and territory public health orders and equivalent arrangements. Vaccinations of aged care workers is being prioritised through Commonwealth in-reach clinics, primary care and state clinics.

ATAGI advice on defining ‘up-to-date’ status for COVID-19 vaccination

National Cabinet noted that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has updated their clinical advice to include that all individuals aged 16 years and over are recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to maintain an ‘up-to-date’ status.

Consistent with current arrangements this booster dose is recommended from 3 months after the last primary dose and will now be recommended to be administered within 6 months of completing the primary schedule. Boosters are not recommended for children aged 5-15 years of age and ATAGI will continue to review the evidence on the need for a booster dose in this age cohort.

ATAGI has advised that a booster can be given safely and effectively at any time after 6 months to become ‘up-to-date’ in the event that the booster had not been received earlier.

In its advice ATAGI acknowledges that this change in definition of up-to-date status for COVID-19 vaccines may impact the status of an individual’s COVID-19 immunisation certificate, and sufficient time should be provided to support implementation of changes. ATAGI has recommended they be made effective by the end of March 2022.

National Cabinet noted ATAGI’s advice that these ‘up-to-date’ requirements be applicable for domestic situations and policy settings and noted the Commonwealth Government’s decision that the existing arrangements and definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ for the purposes of overseas travel and arrival into Australia will continue to be that individuals must have received a complete two dose primary course of a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved or recognised vaccine to be considered ‘fully vaccinated’. People entering Australia will not be required to have had a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Back to school

All jurisdictions provided an update on the successful return to school, supported by the Commonwealth’s 50:50 cost share with jurisdictions for rapid antigen testing.

National Cabinet further noted in the context of schools returning, that health system capacity continued to be maintained, and cases, hospitalisation and ICU numbers continued to fall across most states and territories.

Winter National COVID Preparedness

National Cabinet endorsed the Prime Minister’s recommendation for a Winter National COVID and Influenza Preparedness report for all jurisdictions to be presented to the next meeting of National Cabinet by the Commonwealth Department of Health.

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) today pays their respects to the nurses who lost their lives during the sinking of the Vyner Brooke on 14 February 1942 and Bangka Island Massacre on 16 February 1942.

65 Australian Army Nursing Service nurses were evacuated from Singapore on the SS Vyner Brooke due to the pending Japanese invasion. 12 died when the ship was bombed in the Bangka Strait shortly after leaving port.

22 of the group made their way to the nearby Bangka Island where they became victims of one of the worst atrocities of the war. The nurses were ordered to walk into the sea and were machine-gunned from behind in what is now known as the Bangka Island Massacre. 21 died, with only Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO, MBE, ARRC, ED, FNM, FRCNA surviving after receiving non-fatal gunshot wounds.

To mark the 80th anniversary of the sinking and massacre, ACN CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN reflected on the incredible courage the nurses displayed in the most horrific of situations and highlighted their legacy still has a lasting impact on the nursing profession today.

“80 years ago, a group of Australian nurses paid the ultimate sacrifice for their dedication to serve their country and use their expertise to care for those who needed it most,” she said.

“All the nurses onboard the Vyner Brooke were highly skilled professionals at the cutting edge of health care innovation for their time. They had a variety of clinical and personal backgrounds and came from all over Australia from Perth to Broken Hill, Sydney to Ballarat and everywhere in-between.

“When the bombs were falling on the ship, it was the nurses who stood tall to lead the ship’s evacuation and treat the injured. On Bangka Island, they endured exceptionally trying conditions in the face of death. Even in their final moments, they stayed true in their commitment to care for others, with several supporting their injured nursing colleagues walk into the water before their tragic deaths.

“The group’s courage, leadership and professional skill continue to have a legacy on nurses in Australia today. These traits are what make us proud to be nurses and our profession never forgets the immense sacrifice of those who came before us.

“To ensure their legacy lives on, The Australian College of Nursing Foundation is establishing a scholarship in the name of each of the 21 nurses who died in the Bangka Island Massacre, in addition to leading the fundraising to erect a sculpture of Vivian Bullwinkel in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial.

A new report from the University of Canberra’s National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) reveals the staggering future economic cost of Alzheimer’s disease, and its impact on Australia’s workforce, patients, families and communities.1

The report, The Economic and Societal Cost of Alzheimer’s Disease in Australia, 2021-2041, commissioned by Biogen Australia and New Zealand, builds on NATSEM and Dementia Australia’s Economic Cost of Dementia in Australia 2016-2056 Report released in 2017 and projects a 20-year $442 billion impact of Alzheimer’s disease to the Australian economy.1

Lead author Emeritus Professor Laurie Brown from NATSEM said the number of people aged 50 and over with diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase by 73% from 153,888 in 2021 to 266,114 by 2041. This increase will lead to an annual cost of $26.6 billion, including direct costs (aged care, hospital and out of hospital services) of $9.8 billion and indirect costs (informal care, lost productivity, and income support) of $16.8 billion by 2041.1

“The modelling paints a significant challenge to government, health and aged care systems into the future,” said Professor Brown. “The numbers also provide insight into the ripple effect on families and the community as they struggle to care for people living with the disease.”

Under current care, the number of people in Residential Aged Care Facilities with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase by more than 72 per cent over the next 20 years, with the numbers increasing from 42,478 persons in 2021 to 73,172 in 2041.1

“This is a huge challenge for an aged care system already under pressure. It will see financial impacts of formal residential and community aged care rising by almost $3.6 billion annually and requiring a paid workforce of 18,652 in 2041 to support those living with Alzheimer’s disease in the community alone, up from 10,752 in 2021,” said Professor Brown.

Associate Professor Michael Woodward AM, geriatrician and Head of Aged Care Research, Austin Health said importantly the report also provides an opportunity to quantify the societal costs outside the health system.

“The impact I see on carers and the community each day is often the most challenging to quantify. However, with an expected additional 80,000+ people with Alzheimer’s disease in the community by 2041 compared with today we can’t afford not to consider this impact in any future approach,” Associate Professor Woodward said.

The report also investigated the potential impact of a disease modifying therapy on the numbers.1 Disease-modifying therapies target the pathogenic pathway of Alzheimer’s disease to delay the onset or progression of dementia.2 The modelling indicates there is an opportunity to reduce the burden on aged care over the 20 years by $7.9 billion, the cost of residential care by $7.0 billion and formal care in the community by $880 million. With fewer people having moderate or severe AD dementia, the cost of informal care is also reduced by $4.3 billion – giving a total savings of $12.2 billion.1

“While the modelling suggests that the introduction of a disease modifying therapy has the potential to lessen the future impact of Alzheimer’s disease, it is only part of the solution,” said Associate Professor Woodward.

“The findings in this report attest to the importance of developing and implementing a system and society-wide approach, in alignment with the anticipated national dementia strategy to ensure we can provide the best possible clinical outcomes and quality of life in the future. We do not have time to delay,” Associate Professor Woodward continued.

This data reinforces the findings from the recent White Paper on the Future of Alzheimer’s disease in Australia that revealed the need for urgent collaboration and action in the healthcare system to manage the growing impact of the disease.

A United States delegation, led by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Director for Logistics and Engineering, Brigadier General Jered Helwig, will visit bases and facilities in Australia to progress the Australian-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2021 commitments.

Indo-Pacific Command’s senior logistician will meet with key Australian Defence counterparts to discuss the establishment of cooperative logistics, sustainment, and maintenance enterprises.

Brigadier Jason Walk, Acting Commander Joint Logistics Command, is sponsoring the delegation and welcomed the opportunity to start progressing the AUSMIN 2021 outcomes.

“Aligning Australian and U.S understanding of the Northern Australian environment and the Defence logistics enterprise capabilities is central to achieving an effective AUSMIN outcome,” Brigadier Walk said.

“The visit will focus on logistics opportunities and challenges in our Northern Region, our networks and infrastructure, and interoperability enhancement.”

Brigadier General Helwig said the visit was a great opportunity to connect and discuss cooperative logistics, sustainment, and maintenance, a key outcome from AUSMIN Consultations in September 2021.

“The Indo-Pacific Region is the priority theatre for the United States and working alongside Australia is critically important in this long-term partnership to achieve our collective goals of maintaining peace and stability in the Region,” Brigadier General Helwig said.

“Our network of allies and partners is our greatest strategic asset and central to our goals to ensure a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific,” Brigadier Helwig said.

The Joint Statement on AUSMIN 2021 endorsed a range of enhanced force posture cooperation activities to enhance maritime, air and land support to promote a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region.

The full statement can be accessed here

https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/united-states-of-america/ausmin/joint-statement-australia-us-ministerial-consultations-ausmin-2021

The visit will comply with all the relevant state and territory COVID-19 rules and regulations.

The Greens have called on all parties to pledge an end to Australia’s culture of sexual violence, harassment and predatory behavior by committing to the three asks outlined by Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins in their joint address to the National Press Club today.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Anyone who watched Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins at the Press Club today would have been been under no illusion about what needs to be done to end Australia’s culture of sexual violence, harassment and abuse.

“They asked for three things from this parliament: to take abuse in all its forms seriously, to invest in prevention education, and for structural change. These are things that women have been demanding for years, and we call on all parties to commit to making this happen.

“The Greens have already made that commitment. We’ve pledged to deliver the $1 billion a year that the women’s safety sector says it needs to fully fund frontline services, and we’ve announced that we’ll spend $477 million to support the four-year rollout of Our Watch’s Respectful Relationships education in all public schools.

“A billion dollars a year is a tiny price to pay to ensure the safety of Australian women at work, at home and in public. This government spend 10 times that on subsidies to tax-dodging fossil fuel companies!

“The government must also get on with implementing the remaining recommendations of the Respect@Work report, most critically the positive duty on employers to ensure a safe workplace, and enact all 28 recommendations of Set the Standard, to reform the toxic culture in parliament and parliamentary workplaces.

“Everyone deserves to be free from harassment, bullying and sexual assault. It’s just a tragedy that it’s taken the sacrifices and public re-traumatisation of brave women like Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins to wake many people up.

“The Morrison Government knows what needs to be done. Let’s get cracking.”

The Senate has given its support to a motion of Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi to refer her private members’ bill Australian Research Council Amendment (Ensuring Research Independence) Bill 2018 to a Senate Inquiry.

Senator Faruqi, Greens spokesperson for Education, said:

“I’m very pleased that the Senate has agreed to this inquiry.

“There is no place for political interference in research funding and my bill would ensure that grants are allocated through the established rigorous processes, not ministerial intervention.

“I’m really looking forward to hearing from universities and researchers on this critical issue. Frankly, for too long, their voices have been ignored.

“Liberal Ministers have vetoed seventeen peer-reviewed grants in just the last four years. The government is out of control and the madness has to end.”

The inquiry has been referred to the Senate’s Education and Employment Legislation Committee. More information will be made available in the coming days.

Senior Australians in residential aged care are leading the national uptake of boosters, with 80.56 per cent of those eligible for their third vaccine shot now having received it.

In-reach booster clinics have reached all 2541 facilities across Australia, with the program completed ahead of the original schedule as the Morrison Government responded to the updated advice on the timing of boosters by ATAGI.

The booster vaccination rate for aged care residents is well ahead of the national community figure of 55.43 per cent.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said it is an excellent response from residents and encouraged those who may not have been eligible or originally declined a booster, to roll up their sleeves.

“We want to continue to provide increased protection for senior Australians and are returning to residential aged care facilities to provide another opportunity for both residents and workers to get their booster dose,” Minister Hunt said.

“While all facilities have now had a booster clinic, 19 per cent of eligible residents have not yet received their booster dose, and 10 per cent of all residents are yet to complete their first and second doses. This is a concern.”

“We are committed to supporting our senior Australians and those who care for them in aged care facilities to get protected through vaccination.”

Residential aged care facilities are responsible for ensuring the safety and protection of residents through access and support to COVID-19 vaccination.

This includes proactively arranging for residents to access a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as quickly and safely as possible if they have not yet received a booster.

Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck said is critical for residents and workers at each residential aged care service to be strongly encouraged and supported to receive their COVID-19 booster dose.

“All residential aged care providers not actively arranging booster doses for remaining eligible residents must do so as soon as possible,” Minister Colbeck said.

The options available for booster doses, and first or second doses as required, include primary care providers, including visiting GPs and pharmacists, self-vaccination clinics or Commonwealth return clinics.

To support on-site self-vaccination clinics for residents and workers, the Commonwealth today opened a Request for Tender for residential aged care providers, recognising the capability and capacity of many aged care providers to conduct safe and efficient vaccination programs.

Self-vaccination clinics also enable residential aged care providers to offer flexibility to residents and workers, without having to schedule clinics with an external vaccine provider.

Facility management can register now for a Commonwealth return booster clinic where at least 10 per cent of residents at the facility require a COVID-19 vaccine dose (first, second or third/booster) and that this equates to 10 or more residents.

Facilities which do not meet this threshold are encouraged to engage with primary care providers in the first instance to deliver required boosters. Where this is not possible, the Commonwealth will offer an in-reach booster clinic.

All returning clinics will offer booster doses to all eligible residents and workers.

Those facilities requiring a first, second, or third dose for people who are severely immunocompromised, can also receive these doses at the return booster clinics.

Dedicated worker vaccination hubs are also coming online, with those states and territories that have now mandated booster vaccinations for residential aged care being a priority.

Workers can also access a priority booster appointment through existing state and territory vaccination clinics, GPs and community pharmacists.

The Western Mine Workers’ Alliance is calling on Australia’s largest superannuation funds to pressure Rio Tinto over the mining giant’s appalling workplace culture and profit-at-all-costs approach.

The WMWA has written to 13 super funds covering more than 6.5 million Australian members. The funds, each identified as having a Rio Tinto stake, are required to exercise their powers in the best interests of their members.

A recent by report by Elizabeth Broderick found that of all Rio Tinto’s global divisions, bullying and sexual harassment were highest in its iron ore division, in Western Australia’s Pilbara. More than half of those iron ore employees reported experiencing bullying and one third of the women experienced sexual harassment.

As key shareholders in Rio Tinto, each superannuation fund “has a key role in guiding Rio Tinto’s corporate behaviour and setting a high expectation for governance in the organisation,” Australian Workers’ Union National Secretary Dan Walton says in a joint letter to the chairs, CEOs and investment managers of each fund.

“We encourage you to challenge Rio Tinto’s leadership and ask what concrete steps they are taking to resolve these systemic cultural issues.”

The Broderick report backs up the findings of a worker survey conducted by the WMWA last year across Rio Tinto Pilbara iron ore mines, which found:

●One in five women said they had experienced physical acts of sexual assault.

●One in three women said they had received requests for sexual favours, and repeated invitations to engage in sexual relationships.

●Most workers (men and women) did not believe that the work culture protects workers from sexual harassment.

Mining and Energy Union President Tony Maher says Rio Tinto still refuses to engage or consult directly with its workers and representatives to discuss collaborative solutions to issues such as these.

“We have sounded concerns for several years about Rio Tinto’s failure to appropriately respond to bullying and harassment in the workplace,” Mr Maher says in the letter.

“There are particular historical factors contributing to Rio Tinto’s workplace culture that stem from their ‘direct engagement’ philosophy, which puts workers at the mercy of their immediate supervisor for their livelihoods.

“It removed a collective voice for workers and discouraged difficult issues like bullying from being raised.”

The Western Mine Workers’ Alliance is an agreement between the Australian Workers’ Union and the Mining and Energy Union.

RENEWABLES PROVIDED FIVE times more power into Australia’s largest grid than gas in 2021, according to new data from the Climate Council.

Renewables reached record highs in all mainland states in 2021, while gas generation fell once again across the country, down to its lowest level in more than 15 years in the National Electricity Market (NEM) despite virtually no change in electricity demand. Tasmania equaled it’s previous record of 99.9 percent of wind, water and sun in 2021

“The increase in solar, wind and batteries in our electricity system is making power bills cheaper for Australian households and businesses. Electricity is now the cheapest it has been in almost a decade and we have solar and wind to thank for that,” said Climate Council Senior Researcher, Tim Baxter.

“Let’s be clear, this record has nothing to do with the federal government, which has been missing in action and leaving all of the heavy-lifting to the states and territories.”

“When you look at the data and what renewables are doing for Australians’ hip-pockets, the push for gas from the Morrison Government seems increasingly irresponsible and economically reckless.

“This week, the federal government approved its Kurri Kurri gas-fired power station, despite it making zero commercial sense.”

In NSW, gas provided just 1.5 percent of the state’s power, its lowest level in 15 years.

Climate Councillor, energy expert and former BP Australasia President, Greg Bourne said: “Every taxpayer dollar spent on new gas-fired power infrastructure is at risk of being wasted on unnecessary stranded assets.”

“Gas simply cannot compete with renewable energy, which is bringing down power prices for consumers and creating a cleaner, healthier energy system.”

“We’re also seeing a similar clean energy trend on the other side of Australia, in WA’s largest grid, which for the first time ever in 2021 saw renewables overtake gas to become the state’s biggest source of power. This is incredibly significant considering renewable energy generation has more than doubled in WA in just three years,” said the former West Australian.

Renewable energy generation increased by almost 20 percent in the NEM in 2021, with a 30 percent jump in Victoria and 26 percent jump in Western Australia. In South Australia, gas generation slumped to its lowest level in more than two decades, while in Victoria it dropped a whopping 30 percent in just 12 months.

“Why is the Morrison Government investing in gas-fired power stations when the need for gas in our electricity system is clearly disappearing?” said Mr Bourne.

“Gas is expensive, polluting, and diminishing in importance and relevance as the rest of the world moves towards net zero, and our own states and territories rapidly roll-out large-scale renewable energy and storage.”

The National Electricity Market (NEM) is Australia’s largest grid and supplies the vast majority of Australia’s electricity. It is an interconnected system supplying electricity right across Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, and most major populated regions of Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. ACT’s generation is accounted for within the NSW total.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hold a public hearing with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Mr Philip Lowe, on Friday, 11 February 2022. The RBA last appeared before the committee in August 2021.

Monetary policy has been incredibly consequential for the Australian economy and the decisions the RBA take, have an impact on everyone. Particularly at a time of great uncertainty when the COVID-19 pandemic and new strains continue to affect economies and markets around the globe.

The committee will be scrutinising recent measures of the RBA, including its decisions to cease further purchases under the bond purchasing program and to maintain the cash rate target at 10 basis points. Additionally, the committee will scrutinise the RBA’s thinking around inflation targets and its outlook for monetary policy.