Category: Australian News

The Australian Government has implemented further measures to protect remote communities during the current COVID-19 outbreak in the Northern Territory (NT).
Remote communities in the NT continue to see escalating cases of COVID-19. The situation required a broader public health response to supplement the Northern Territory Government’s response.
As Minister for Health and Aged Care, I have made a determination under section 477 of the Commonwealth Biosecurity Act 2015 to prevent a person from entering or exiting remote regional zones in the Northern Territory. This is aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 across the Northern Territory and will be in place until the end of 17 February 2022.
This broader approach is complemented by more targeted restrictions for communities with high case numbers, namely Milikapiti, Milingimbi, Palumpa, Ampilatwatja, Elcho Island (including Galiwin’ku), Wessel Islands (including Martjanba) and Lajamanu.
These measures are based on the medical advice from the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly. These measures will help to contain the current outbreak by restricting entry into, and exit from, these communities. This will assist in preventing the spread of the disease, including to neighbouring remote communities in the Northern Territory.
These Determinations were requested by the Northern Territory Government to supplement mechanisms they have implemented and is supported by the Central Land Council, Northern Land Council, Tiwi Land Council, the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory (AMSANT) and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).
The approach is consistent with extensive planning undertaken by the Australian Government in partnership with the Northern Territory Government, the Aboriginal Advisory Group on COVID-19, NACCHO, Northern Territory Land Councils, the National Indigenous Australians’ Agency (NIAA) and the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector. This response was also:

• informed by the predictive modelling on an outbreak in a remote community by the Kirby Institute and University of Melbourne and modelling looking at an outbreak in a remote community in the context of vaccination by the Doherty Institute
• recognised in the Management Plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Populations; and
• outlined in the Communicable Disease Network Australia’s National Guidance for Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities for COVID-19.

All residents of the Northern Territory are encouraged to continue to follow their local Health Department directions, to be tested in the coming days, and to book their vaccinations.
The measures are being implemented based on the best public health advice and will be in place only as long as necessary to keep the community safe.
The emergency determination will cover the Northern, Central and Tiwi Land Councils regions, and allow movement to continue within specific community wards as agreed with the Land Councils. The designated zones are:
Central designated zones
Barkly designated zone

• Alpurrurulam
• Alyawarr
• Patta.

  Central Desert designated zone

• Akityarre
• Anmatjere
• Daguragu
• Northern Tanami
• Southern Tanami.

MacDonnell designated zone

• Iyarrka
• Ljirapinta
• Luritja Pintubi
• Rodinga.

Tiwi Islands designated zones
Bathurst Island designated zone

• the ward of Bathurst Island.

Melville Island designated zone

• Milikapiti;
• Pirlangimpi.

Northern designated zones
East Arnhem designated zone

• the ward of Birr Rawarrang
• the ward of Gumurr Gattjirrk
• the ward of Gumurr Marthakal
• the ward of Gumurr Miwatj (with exclusions)
• the ward of Gumurr Miyarrka.

Roper Gulf designated zone

• Kuwarrangu
• Never Never
• Numbulwar Numburindi
• Nyirranggulung
• South West Gulf
• Yugul Mangi.

Victoria Daly designated zone

• the ward of Timber Creek, excluding the following:
  • NT Portion 7278 (Jiylinum Community Living Area);
  • NT Portion 3046 (Marralum Outstation);
• the ward of Walangeri.

West Arnham designated zone

• Gunbalanya;
• Maningrida;
• Minjilang;
• Warruwi.

West Daly designated zone

• Nganmarriyanga;
• Thamarrurr / Pindi Pindi;
• Tyemirri.

Australian Workers’ Union National Secretary Daniel Walton has told a Senate committee his union will not bow to demands from the federal government to cease speaking to ambassadors and the community about the dangers of the new Agriculture Visa and the culture of exploitation that exists within the farming industry.
Mr Walton appeared alongside fruit picker and Chinese national Kate Hsu before the Senate Select Committee on Job Security this morning.
“Unfortunately, exploitation is now a core part of many farmers’ business model,” he told the committee.
“A huge number of temporary visa places have been provided over the years for backpackers and seasonal workers, with barely any rules and inadequate monitoring, compliance, and enforcement. Since 2016, 11 different pieces of research have investigated exploitation of horticulture workers… and they have all come back with the same findings: underpayment, mistreatment, shocking conditions and exploitation are systemic.
“This is not just a few bad eggs. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated hundreds of employers over 5 years in its Harvest Trail inquiry; more than half of its investigations found a breach of workplace laws. Three-quarters of these breaches involved underpayment. Poor pay and conditions have been justified on the basis of ‘labour shortages’ – that there are too few Australians willing to take up the work. But every day, Australians, including thousands of AWU members, get up to work in jobs that are just as tough and arduous as fruit picking. The difference is they have access to Australian standards of pay and Australian working rights.”
Mr Walton told the senators the situation would only be exacerbated by the government’s proposed new Agricultural Visa. The AWU has being repeatedly attacked by Agriculture Minister David Littleproud for speaking about the dangers of the new visa with ambassadors to Australia, but Mr Walton vowed to continue speaking out frankly.
“So far, all of the potential agriculture visa partners have seen right through this. Legislation to establish the visa was passed in October, yet not one country has signed up to join the program,” Mr Walton noted.
“Only Indonesia has been willing to publicly express an interest in the program, yet after an expensive trip last week, Minister Littleproud came back with no deal on the ag visa. Why didn’t Indonesia sign up? Because they understand that worker exploitation is rife in Australia.
“[Mr Littleproud has] told every regional newspaper and radio station that will listen to him that the AWU hates Australia, hates farmers, that we’re disgraceful, that we’re getting in the way. Yet, since the visa announcement in June last year, we reached out several times to discuss how we can deal with labour concerns in the horticulture sector. He’s still yet to take a meeting with us.
“We are still opposed to the ag visa, because the government hasn’t done enough to protect the workers already here, whether they’ve come from the working holidaymaker program like Kate or they’re hear under the Pacific programs. Instead of threatening and intimidating workers and their representatives we should be encouraging workers who are getting shafted to speak out, reach out so that we can find you a better workplace.”

The Australian Workers’ Union is now counting down the days until April 28 when the new hourly minimum rate for fruit pickers will come into force
Last November, the AWU secured an historic industrial win for fruit pickers by successfully arguing the Horticulture Award should be altered to ensure every worker is entitled to take home the minimum casual rate of pay, currently $25.41.
The Fair Work Commission has now announced the guaranteed hourly rate will come into force on April 28 and will be calculated daily as recommended by the AWU, and not per pay period as advocated by the farmers’ lobby.
“It’s fantastic that from April 28 fruit pickers will get some certainty about how much they should be legally paid for their labour — the union is counting the days,” said AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton.
“For too long the farmers’ lobby has seen fruit pickers as somehow beneath the usual standards offered to Australian workers. But the hard work of pickers deserves the same minimum wage dignity afforded to everyone else.
“We are grateful the Commission has ruled hourly rate earnings must be calculated daily. One of the great advantages of last year’s historic ruling was the clarity it provided. Fruit pickers — who often have limited English and information about Australian laws – will now find it easy to assess if they are being ripped off by their employer.
“Now at the end of each day every picker should be assured that their work netted at least $25.41 an hour. If not, their employer is stealing from them and breaking the law.
“It is deeply disappointing that the farmers’ lobby saw fit to try and obfuscate the simplicity of the system by arguing that the calculation should be made per pay period. We are glad they were not successful.
“This ruling is a huge advance for this industry and for all the farmers who are already doing the right thing.”

A Rio Tinto report into workplace culture finding unacceptable and systemic bullying, sexism and racism is shocking but would not surprise workers, the Western Mineworkers Alliance said today.
The report by Elizabeth Broderick found that of all Rio Tinto’s divisions globally, bullying and sexual harassment were highest in its iron ore division, in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. More than half of Rio Tinto’s iron ore employees reported experiencing bullying and one third of women in iron ore experienced sexual harassment.
Mining and Energy Union President Tony Maher said that Rio Tinto’s toxic workplace culture had been exacerbated by the mining multinational’s push to deunionise in the 1990s and move workers onto individual contracts.
“Rio Tinto became anti-union zealots with their so-called ‘direct engagement’ approach. But crushing union presence on their sites removed a collective voice and important layer of protection for workers.
“It meant workers were dependent on the approval of their immediate supervisor to get a pay rise or even to keep their job, leading to sycophancy, nepotism and fear of raising issues like bullying and harassment. Direct engagement has left a damaging legacy for Rio Tinto’s workplace culture.”
Australian Workers Union National Secretary Dan Walton said the findings in Broderick report echoed those in a union survey of WA iron ore miners’ experiences of sexual harassment and assault undertaken last year. The WMWA raised concerns from the survey during last year’s WA parliamentary inquiry into sexual harassment in the FIFO mining industry.
The WMWA told that inquiry that its extensive industry survey had found:
· One in five women said they had experienced physical acts of sexual assaults.
· One in five women said they had been explicitly or implicitly offered career advancement or benefits in return for sexual favours.
· One in three women said they had received requests for sexual favours, and repeated invitations to engage in sexual relationships.
“Our members spoke loud and clear about unacceptable behaviour on site and their lack of trust in managers and supervisors to take action. Women told us about being threatened with ‘blacklisting’ if they pursued complaints of sexual harassment.
“Rio Tinto has an opportunity now to take real action to address its workplace culture. Feel-good management training is not enough. Managers and supervisors must be held to account and workers must be supported to organise collectively through their unions to build confidence and give them a voice to deal with issues like bullying and harassment. It’s a positive step that Rio Tinto has released this report and we are ready to work collaboratively to improve the working lives of our members and all mineworkers.”
The Western Mineworkers Alliance is a joint venture by the Australian Workers Union and Mining and Energy Union to represent Pilbara iron ore workers.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has expressed disappointment at Labor’s capitulation to Scott Morrison’s plan to give $600 million in public money to Snowy Hydro to build a gas-fired power plant that experts say we don’t need.
In 2021 Labor said the plan looked like “a cynical attempt to pick a fight on gas and continue the climate wars, or to reward the major Liberal donor who owns the Kurri Kurri site.
The Greens also said non-binding ideas of converting to green hydrogen down the line are a fig leaf for new gas infrastructure.
Greens leader, Adam Bandt MP said:
“Gas is as dirty as coal. This power plant is Scott Morrison’s Trojan horse for more methane gas, and now Labor is backing it too.
“If you’re spending public money on new coal and gas projects, you’re not serious about tackling the climate crisis.
“Public money should go to schools and hospitals, not dirty gas plants that aren’t needed and will make the climate crisis worse.
“The Liberals have got to go, but with Labor wanting more coal and gas, the only way to get climate action is to put the Greens in balance of power.
“Non-binding pledges about green hydrogen don’t stop this from being a terrible idea. The Kurri Kurri plan is so flawed that there is a major risk that it will run on diesel before it ever runs on hydrogen.
“Currently there is no gas to feed the proposed plan, which is why it is planned to run on diesel for up to 12 months, after which new gas fields like Narrabri will  be fracked to supply Kurri Kurri.
“It’s stupid to use public money to build a methane-fuelled power plant that may some day be powered by something else instead of just building more renewables and storage right now.”

Australian Greens foreign affairs spokesperson Senator Janet Rice has condemned the Australian Government’s resounding inaction against the Myanmar military and again urged the Foreign Minister to impose targeted sanctions against Junta leaders and their business interests.
Senator Rice said:
“It’s now been a year since the coup in Myanmar, the brutal junta are still in power, and the Australian Government has done nothing but sit on its hands watching the body count pile up and democracy fade into memory.
“Junta security forces have killed almost 1500 people, including 75 children, and locked up thousands of journalists, activists, and other civilians – including Australian Sean Turnell and Myanmar’s democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
“The Greens are again urging the Australian Government to impose targeted sanctions against Commander-in-Chief Sr Gen Min Aung Hlaing, other key junta leaders, and their business interests. It is unconscionable that we haven’t already when that’s exactly what hundreds of organisations on the ground in Myanmar have long been calling for.
“The US, UK and Canada had imposed targeted sanctions against the military regime months ago, and have done so again today. Australia is an outlier among our allies as we continue to ignore a year of human rights abuses and tacitly legitimise undemocratic rule.
“Meanwhile our government-owned Future Fund is investing in companies that are directly linked to Myanmar’s violent military junta.
“The coup anniversary statement from the Foreign Minister today is an insult to the people in Myanmar and the Burmese community here in Australia. All concern and no action does nothing to halt the junta’s violence.
“What is the Foreign Minister waiting for? Parliament has now passed Magnitsky legislation – it’s time we use it.
“While facing violent retribution from the Myanmar military, we’ve seen thousands of brave people in Myanmar fighting every day to end this injustice and restore democracy. The Australian Government must finally stand with them and take action against this coup.”

The Morrison Government will provide $210 million to support the aged care workforce to continue to care for older Australians during the COVID 19 pandemic.
A bonus of up to $800 will be made in two instalments of up to $400 each.
The bonus will be paid to workers providing care and support in Government subsidised home care and to residential aged care workers. The payments will be for clinical care workers and expanded to all those providing direct care, food or cleaning services in Government subsidised residential care.
Minister for Health and Aged Greg Hunt said the payments acknowledged the response of the aged care workforce to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.
“The Government is providing these bonus payments to aged care workers in recognition of their dedication in continuing to care for our vulnerable older Australians during these difficult times,” Minister Hunt said.
“These workers have been caring for those who have been most at risk through the pandemic and their dedication has been outstanding.”
“These payments will also be an extra bonus for those who recently retired but have responded to the request to return to work during the recent workforce shortages.”
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the Government was committed to providing the best possible quality of care to our vulnerable older Australians.
“Aged Care workers are the backbone of the care and services provided to older Australians, which is why we continue to invest in growing and upskilling the workforce,” Minister Colbeck said.
“They continue to show their dedication and resilience in caring for older Australians during the COVID 19 pandemic, whether it’s through achieving one of the highest workforce vaccination rates in the world or a myriad of other ways.”
“The payments will provide additional encouragement to continue working through the pandemic and will help to attract additional workers into aged care.”
Those workers employed on 28 February 2022 will receive a bonus payment of up to $400, with another instalment of up to $400 made to workers employed on 28 April 2022.
Aged care providers will apply for the payments and will pass on the assessment to employees.
“I encourage providers to make this payment to eligible employees as soon as possible after they have confirmation of the amount of the payment,” Minister Hunt said.
This Aged Care investment by the Morrison Government is the fourth workforce bonus with three payments already made totalling $393 million going to more than 230,000 workers.
The workforce support is in addition to the $18.3 billion commitment made by the Morrison Government in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, to ensure senior Australians receive the care, respect and dignity they deserve.

A new $1.6 billion economic accelerator will turn Australia’s leading research into world-beating businesses as part of the Morrison Government’s focus on building the country’s resilience.
Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) features as part of a $2.2 billion package to focus the commercialisation of the six national manufacturing priority areas – resources and critical minerals, food and beverage, medical products, recycling and clean energy, defence and space – bringing the country’s brightest business and academic minds together.
Together with a new $150 million expansion of CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures, the AEA will reshape research funding to emphasise projects with high potential for commercialisation that are directed at National Manufacturing Priorities and industry engagement.
The Prime Minister said the AEA would invest in projects as they progressed through the stages of their development.
“Stronger commercialisation of research and ideas will mean a stronger economy and a stronger future for Australia,” the Prime Minister said.
“This is about funding projects to bridge the ‘valley of death’ where early-stage research is often not progressed due to higher levels of risk and uncertainty.
“The AEA will drive our universities and businesses to work hand-in-glove through the stages to prove projects’ viability and potential.
“Expanding the CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures program then takes this further, incentivising the additional venture capital investment support needed to progress innovative new products and technologies through to market to become the new businesses and employers of the future.”
Acting Minister for Education and Youth Stuart Robert said the AEA would boost investment in two critical stages of experimental development: proof of concept and proof of scale.
“The AEA will become a critical source of competitive funding support for innovating new projects with high commercial potential, and will take a lot of the risk and uncertainty for universities out of the equation,” Minister Robert said.
“We will start with a big range of contenders – a contest of ideas.
“But as we progress to stage two, the number of applicants will diminish and the value of the funding to each will increase.
“For example, stage one will involve nearly 100 grants a year of up to $500,000. Recipients will be required to engage industry through in-kind support or even co-location.
“In order to be one of the 36 recipients attracting up to $5 million in funding as part of ‘stage two’ projects, industry will need to put more skin in the game with a 50 per cent co-investment.
“At stage three, up to 50 companies will be supported through the Main Sequence Venture, where we are providing $150 million in two successive co-investment funds.
“This investment is about new jobs, increased wages, and creating products that make life easier, more efficient or even more interesting,” Minister Robert said.
Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the grants were an investment in Australia’s future industries and smart manufacturing within the Morrison Government’s National Manufacturing Priorities.
“By working with industry and researchers, the government is helping to ensure our economy benefits from our world-class research, both now and well into the future,” Minister Taylor said.
Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the $150 million expansion of the CSIRO Main Sequence Ventures program would back start-up companies and help create commercial opportunities from Australian research.
“The Morrison Government is prioritising investment in research and action to turn Australia’s best ideas into new industries and strengthen our future prosperity,” Minister Price said.
“The expansion of the Main Sequence Ventures will further support the development of spin-off and start-up companies with high commercial potential arising from local research.
“Over the past four years, Main Sequence Ventures has invested in 39 companies that are commercialising deep tech opportunities that have created more than 1,200 technology-related jobs.
“Our new investment in this program will ensure it can play a bigger role in our economy and help develop the next generation of great Aussie companies and products.”
Minister Robert said the Morrison Government would also invest $296 million in industry focused PhDs and fellowships to support its research commercialisation goals and drive greater university-industry collaboration.
“This new scheme will generate 1,800 industry PhDs and over 800 industry fellows over 10 years to fundamentally reshape the workforce of Australia’s universities,” Minister Robert said.
“PhD students will benefit from the experience of undertaking research within industry settings, creating employment pathways beyond academic roles.
“Industry will benefit from the opportunities to host PhD students, bolstering their ability to harness ideas and concepts for innovation, as well as to open the pathway to the recruitment of high-calibre graduates. This will be further enhanced by a new suite of ARC Fellowships that will recognise and reward our academics who collaborate with industry, helping to drive the translation of their research, creating new pathways for their work.
“These initiatives will change the culture and the focus of research across Australia’s universities – building greater engagement with industry and ensuring that innovation is at the core of our economic future as a nation.”

• In the lead up to World Cancer Day (4 February 2022), All.Can Australia is emphasising the need to shift to broader access for cancer care navigation to support more Australians
• New research and economic modelling reveal that there may be up to $46 million in savings to the health system per year by implementing a non-cancer specific, care navigation model to support Australians diagnosed with cancer1
• If adopted, the new cancer care navigation model could deliver incalculable benefits to over 150,000 Australians living with cancer2
1 February 2022, Sydney Australia: In the lead up to World Cancer Day, advocacy group All.Can Australia is encouraging a shift to broader cancer care navigation to ensure more Australians receive support as they navigate the health system following a diagnosis of cancer, regardless of their cancer type.
All.Can Australia has shared details from new research that highlights the potential benefits of establishing Australia’s first all-encompassing cancer care navigation model.
The proposed cancer care navigation model is designed to provide guidance to all cancer patients – regardless of cancer type, patient demographic or location – as they traverse the health system.
In partnership with research partner Healthcare Management Advisors (HMA), All.Can Australia has been focusing on cancer care navigation to find sustainable healthcare solutions and address common pain points experienced by patients. According to a survey of Australians with cancer undertaken by All.Can in 2018, patients experience significant confusion and distress when moving through the health system. 1 In contrast, patients with access to cancer navigation, were better able to overcome barriers to care.1
The much-needed focus on cancer care navigation aligns with the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Day theme, “Close the Care Gap”, which is about raising awareness of the equity gap that affects many people with cancer and is costing lives.
Research snapshot
HMA’s research on behalf of All.Can Australia concluded that a universal cancer care navigation model for all Australians may be able to deliver multiple patient, health system and economic benefits.
· Total service costs for the proposed single model were estimated at $56 million per year3
· The model4 estimated that the proposed cancer care navigation model would generate net annual economic savings of:
– $67 million to the health system, through reductions in inpatient care and emergency department presentations
– $5 million to workplace productivity by reducing employee absenteeism
– $3 million in reduced patient education expenses for not-for-profit organisations
– $7 million in reduced transport costs for patients.
The model could generate annualised savings of $46 million per year or $900 per patient.5
Represents a return on investment of 44% based on the overall service cost.
Professor John Zalcberg – Co-Chair of the All.Can Australia Steering Committee and Head of the Cancer Research Program, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine School of Public Health at Monash University – a more integrated approach to cancer care navigation would make it easier for those diagnosed with cancer to navigate through Australia’s complex health system.
“The efforts to investigate a single model that can benefit all Australians diagnosed with cancer has the potential to transform cancer care delivery. This report helps to take our work to the next step, as now we potentially have a solution to tackle this. While the economic analysis of our research shows strong return on investment, it is the ability to better utilise existing services and create better connectivity that will make a huge difference to patients,” said Professor Zalcberg.
Bill Petch – Chief Executive Officer of National Asthma Council Australia and Co-Chair of the All.Can Australia Steering Committee – said the establishment of a new cancer care navigation model can’t occur in isolation and needs to factor in existing services.
“Our model has been designed to drive equitable access to cancer services, but an important consideration of our approach has been to make the best use of existing resources to address a critical unmet need,” said Mr Petch.
“Patients have long shared their feelings of disempowerment within our current health system. The adoption of a patient-centric and technology-driven navigation model could help address the multitude of unmet needs Australians with cancer face, including inequitable access. Our focus and investments should really be aimed at a singular solution that has potential to meet the needs of all Australians now and in the future.”
All.Can Australia also views the model as an opportunity to utilise emerging technology to drive better connectivity and equitable access in the cancer space. The novel model has the potential to leverage telehealth, emerging artificial intelligence and experienced navigators (both allied and healthcare professionals) already working across the health system.
All.Can Australia plans to leverage the research findings to continue discussion with government and other likeminded organisation to explore piloting and further data collection.

Catholic Health Australia is calling on the Government to go beyond retention bonuses for aged care staff and use the upcoming Budget to slash training fees for would be workers and lift care subsidies to provide urgent relief in the Omicron-plagued sector.
“Although welcome, retention bonuses do not work in isolation,” CHA Chief Executive Officer Pat Garcia said. “Catholic Health Australia has sent the government a suite of reforms that not only target the current COVID-19 crisis but also address the broader systemic issues the industry faces.
“Catholic Health Australia is urgently calling for more affordable training pathways, as well as a meaningful lift in care subsidies that truly reflect rising COVID-19 prevention costs. In line with the Royal Commission, the Government should also join with providers and the unions to put in a wage claim to the Fair Work Commission to lift wages for workers.”
In its Budget submission CHA, whose members provide about around 15 per cent of the nation’s aged-care services, says the aged care sector is under considerable stress due to the costs of buying rapid antigen test kits and PPE on the open market and to replace furloughed staff, including more overtime payments and incentives to fill rosters. With 56 per cent of aged care homes already operating at a loss, these additional costs are pushing many operators to the brink.
CHA’s Budget submission makes a number of recommendations including:
Additional payments paid directly to aged-care workers, which would help retain and attract staff and compensate them for the stresses they are under.
An uplift in the rate of care subsidies to meet the additional COVID-related costs.
Bring forward the additional training places funded in the May 2021 Budget and offer incentives, such as fee waivers and bonuses, to attract trainees.
The Budget submission also proposes additional measures to address the causes of the underlying financial pressures facing residential aged care, including indexation which reflects the actual movement in costs.
Mr Garcia said: “A clear-eyed look at care subsidies is needed. The $10 per resident per day increase announced in the last Budget has effectively been swallowed by rising COVID related costs. In fact, residential aged care homes incurred an operating loss of $7.30 per bed day in September quarter of 2021, compared with an operating loss of $5.06 in the same period a year earlier.
“The Government should bring forward the additional training places funded in the May 2021 Budget. Slashing fees and providing other incentives to train and join this rewarding sector would also help with future workforce pressures.”