Category: Australian News

The Morrison Government is backing in first home owners to enter the property market sooner with up to an extra 4,651 buyers set to benefit under the Government’s Home Guarantee Scheme this year.
The Scheme helps first home buyers and single parent families get into their own home sooner with a deposit of as little as five per cent or two per cent respectively.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government’s Home Guarantee Scheme would reissue up to 4,651 unused guarantees for first home buyers from the 2020-21 financial year who haven’t had an opportunity to purchase their first home, including because of COVID disruptions.
“We want more first home buyers to get into the place of their dreams,” the Prime Minister said.
“The pandemic and lockdowns have interrupted the plans of many home buyers this year, so this is about ensuring we give thousands more families the opportunity they need.
“We want to help Australians into their first home or a home that they’ve had built for them and their family, and with our support first home buyers are at their highest level in nearly 15 years.”
Minister for Housing Michael Sukkar said coupled with HomeBuilder and the First Home Super Saver Scheme, more than 300,000 Australians have been helped into home ownership, including almost 60,000 Australians through the Home Guarantee Scheme.
“The Morrison Government will continue to provide Australians who have that aspiration to go and buy a home, the opportunity to go and achieve that,” Minister Sukkar said.
“The recent release of the annual Trends & Insiders Report for 2020-2021 on the Home Guarantee Scheme is further evidence that our Government is on the side of essential workers, women and young Australians as they make the leap into home ownership.”
Some of the Report’s key insights are:

• One in five First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) guarantees issued went to essential workers, representing almost 6,000 key workers who purchased their first home under the scheme, 34.8 per cent of which were nurses.
• Fifty two per cent of FHLDS guarantees went to women, with the market average only 41 per cent women.
• Fifty eight per cent of all buyers under the Scheme were Australians aged under 30.
• Homebuyers were able to bring their home purchases forward by an average of four years for the FHLDS, and 4.5 years for the New Home Guarantee.

The Report can be found here.
Liberal Candidate for Corangamite Stephanie Asher said the Morrison Government’s Home Guarantee Scheme had supported many families in the area into their first home, including 577 homes in Greater Geelong.
“With so many young people and families moving to Geelong, the Surf Coast and the Bellarine, this is about making it easier to make home ownership a reality,” Ms Asher said.
“It’s programs like this that will help even more people see the great lifestyle and opportunities our region has to offer.”
First home buyers will be able to apply for these guarantees from the Scheme’s panel lenders in the coming weeks. For more information, visit https://www.nhfic.gov.au/what-we-do/support-to-buy-a-home/

Canberrans seeking assistance for their mental health will have another centre providing high quality support with the opening of the Canberra Head to Health Centre.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, and ACT Senator, Zed Seselja, today welcomed the opening of the Centre, located in Deakin, ACT.
“We know that the pandemic and the measures taken to contain it have had a significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of many Australians,” Minister Hunt said.
“The Canberra Head to Health Centre will be among the first in a network of community mental health centres ensuring people who need help have access to high quality, person-centred care where and when they need it.
“Head to Health Centres are designed to provide a welcoming, low stigma, ‘no wrong door’ entry point for adults to access mental health information, services and supports through a multidisciplinary team operating over extended hours, without needing a prior appointment or paying a fee.”
Assistant Minister Coleman said the centre would provide a safe place for people experiencing high levels of distress, or who are at heightened risk of suicide.
“At their core, the Head to Health Centres, like this new one in Canberra, will be staffed by multidisciplinary teams that will offer support to adults experiencing mental ill-health by providing support and treatment over the short to medium term.”
Senator Zed Seselja welcomed the opening of the new centre and said it will help people get the support they need by providing care where there are no available services appropriate to their needs or while they are waiting to be connected to longer-term care.
“Our Government is committed to improving mental health services across Australia and here in the ACT. To do so, we have invested considerable funding to improve services now and into the future,” Senator Seselja said.
“This centre will integrate with other services to address fragmentation and offer seamless care pathways, with an emphasis on ensuring consumers and carers do not need to retell their story.”
As part of the 2019–20 Budget, the Morrison Government committed $114.5 million to fund the trial of eight ‘Head to Health’ Adult Mental Health Centres, with one centre to be established in each state and territory.
An additional $487.2 million was announced under the 2021–22 Budget to expand the program to an additional 32 sites (eight new centres and 24 satellites) and provide ongoing funding for the initial eight trial sites.
“Services provided at these centres will be recovery focused, trauma informed and person-centred,” Minister Hunt said.
“The Morrison Government is committed to working towards zero suicides and transforming the mental health system to ensure that all Australians can access the right care and essential services whenever and wherever they need,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.
“I’m pleased the new Canberra Head to Health Centre will also play an essential role in supporting ACT GPs, private and public hospitals and emergency departments, by providing accessible mental health care,” Senator Seselja said.
The service has been commissioned by the Capital Health Network (ACT Primary Health Network) and will be operated by Think Mental Health.
Australians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service any time via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au.
Anyone experiencing distress can also seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
If you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available at 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au.
The Morrison Government continues to make mental health and wellbeing a priority. Oure Government provided a historic $2.3 billion in the 2020-21 Budget to deliver significant reform of the mental health system and ensure that all Australians have access to high quality, person-centred care as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initial results from the first national survey of mental health and wellbeing in 14 years has confirmed the growing importance of mental health services, with Australians seeking mental health support more than ever before.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has today released the results from the first cohort of the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, which collected data from over 5,500 people aged 16 to 85 years from December 2020 to July 2021.
The results show many Australians are taking steps to look after their mental health. The key findings include:

• 15% of adults experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in the four weeks before their interview.
• Almost two-thirds (61%) of adults took actions to improve their own mental health in the last 12 months, including increasing exercise and physical activity (37%), positive thinking (29%) and increasing enjoyable activities (28%).
• 3.4 million adults reported seeing a health professional for their mental health in the last 12 months, and 612,000 adults used other phone and digital mental health services, such as crisis support or counselling, online treatment programs, or support groups and forums.

Mental health and suicide prevention remain a high priority for the Morrison Government. Through the 2021-22 Budget, we are investing a record $2.3 billion in the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to deliver landmark reform in mental health support and treatment for Australians in need.
The Morrison Government was quick to recognise and respond to the rise in mental health issues caused by the pandemic and associated restrictions, especially among our children and young people.
Since March last year, our Government has provided more than $1 billion in funding to expand mental health services in response to the pandemic, including a substantial investment in telehealth.
As well as extending Medicare subsidies to telehealth mental health services, we have boosted funding to key service providers such as headspace, Lifeline, Beyond Blue and Kids Helpline.
We have also set up walk-in mental health clinics in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, with a national network now in development.
The National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing will provide deeper and more detailed understanding of the mental health challenges facing Australians, and how they manage these challenges.
It will be vital for planning services at the local and national level as the Government continues to reform mental health and preventive health—one of the four pillars of our Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan.
The survey of mental health is one of seven separate surveys which will make up the Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study (IHMHS). The Morrison Government has provided $89.5 million to the ABS to conduct the study, including data collection from 2020 to 2022.
Australians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service any time via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au.
Anyone experiencing distress can also seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
If you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available at 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Federal Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum, and Minister for Regional Health, Dr David Gillespie, have praised Goulburn Valley Health for its role in containing Shepparton’s recent COVID-19 outbreak.
“I want to specifically mention chief executive Matt Sharp and his staff for the role they played in getting the outbreak under control,” Dr Gillespie said during a visit to GV Health today.
“I also want to recognise the hard work of your teams, especially those receptionists, nurses and practice support staff who have really been on the frontline in their efforts to help get the community vaccinated – everyone stepped up to the plate.
“The Federal Coalition Government also recognises the important role that state and territory hubs are playing to keep local communities safe and healthy, especially now as they set up to help vaccinate people in their community.”
Mr Drum said GV Health provided significant local leadership during the September outbreak. In partnership with a range of community service organisations, it ensured that the community could access basics such as food, medication and COVID vaccinations.
“Matt and his team did an incredible job during what was one of the most difficult periods in recent memory in the Goulburn Valley,” Mr Drum said.
“As the local member, I was very proud of the work and care from the highly skilled staff at GV Health during what were very trying times for the entire community.”
The strong relationship between GV Health and Murray Primary Health Network (PHN) enabled a collaborative approach where each organisation could focus on its strengths.
Murray PHN supported primary care with outbreak support (including infection protection and control advice and personal protective equipment), information and advice to continue vaccinations, support to private residential aged care facilities and staff vaccination along with significant outbreak and infection prevention and control support to the local Aboriginal Health Service, Rumbalara.
GV Health led the local response through its Public Health Unit, provided enormous testing capacity at short notice and developed and implemented a COVID positive pathway, including home monitoring, in Shepparton and surrounding areas.
Alongside the outbreak response, GV Health maintained a high-volume vaccination hub at the McIntosh Centre at the Shepparton Showgrounds.

The University of Melbourne’s rural pathway medical school program at Shepparton is set to welcome its first intake next year, taking students a step closer to becoming rural doctors and helping to address Australia’s longstanding rural doctor shortage.
Shepparton offers one of five rural-based medical school programs established under the Federal Government’s Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network.
The Network is a key initiative in the Government’s commitment to tackle the rural doctor shortage and improve the distribution of the medical workforce through the establishment of rurally based medical school programs.
Up to half of the 30 students who will study medicine at Shepparton have been based at Bendigo and Albury-Wodonga, where they have just completed the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical) degree from La Trobe University.
This arrangement provides a pathway into the four-year graduate entry Doctor of Medicine offered by the University of Melbourne in Shepparton for regional students intending to practise medicine in a regional location.
The medical program was announced in the Federal Government’s 2018-2019 Budget and involves a unique collaboration between the two universities which have a long and respected track record in medical, health and rural education.
This first Shepparton intake will further benefit from a $6.5 million upgrade to the Shepparton campus, including new student accommodation and expanded teaching spaces, expected to be completed in early 2022.
Federal Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum, congratulated the students on their graduation from La Trobe, and commended both the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University on their successful collaboration.
“Today is a great day for the Goulburn Valley as the first cohort in this ground-breaking end-to-end regional medical program mark a major milestone in their quest to become a doctor,” Mr Drum said.
“I congratulate all those who graduated today and wish them the best of luck for the remainder of their studies.
“I’m proud the Federal Government, in conjunction with La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne, created this medical program as part of an effort to alleviate the doctor shortage in regional and rural Australia.
“I am confident that a high proportion of graduating students will choose to stay in the Goulburn Valley for their medical careers, benefitting the region for years and decades to come.”
Minister for Regional Health, David Gillespie, said the Murray-Darling Medical School Network would be a game-changer in bridging the city-country divide.
“The Network’s aim is to address rural doctor shortages, improve the future distribution of the medical workforce and build on the Government’s existing investment in rural undergraduate training through the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training program,” Dr Gillespie said.
“It will maximise opportunities to support school leavers and graduate-entry students with a rural background, and to attract those with an interest, intention and aptitude for practising in rural and regional areas once qualified.
“As such, it will help to ‘flip’ the current model of medical training with the majority of training to be regionally based and rotations to metropolitan areas for specialist immersions kept to a minimum.
“The new end-to-end rural medical program is in strong demand from regional and rural students because it means students are able to study closer to home.
“A major positive impact of the program is that students in regional schools now see medicine as a possible career path, and this is lifting enthusiasm and performance in schools.”
The Murray-Darling Medical School Network also enables communities in the region to benefit from the creation of local jobs through infrastructure projects and the increased university presence.
The Network includes University of NSW (Wagga Wagga), University of Sydney (Dubbo), Charles Sturt University in partnership with Western Sydney University (Orange), Monash University (Bendigo, Mildura), and University of Melbourne (Shepparton).
In 2022, all five Network medical schools will be operational, with 145 students commencing their studies, adding to the 80 who started in 2021. La Trobe University will welcome another 15 students to its pathway Biomedical Science (Medical) degree.

The Morrison Government continues to support the mental health and wellbeing of new and expectant parents with new funding to expand the National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline.
Our Government is providing additional funding of $7.8 million over four years from 2021-22 to 2024-25 to Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA), which operates the Helpline.
The expansion, funded in the 2021-22 Budget, builds on existing funding to PANDA under the Morrison Government’s Perinatal Mental Health and Wellbeing Program.
The National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline is Australia’s only free national helpline service specifically for women, men, and their families affected by or at risk of perinatal mental illness.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the helpline provided a safe and confidential space for any new and expectant parent struggling with the challenges of becoming a new parent.
“The Morrison Government recognises the importance of supporting the mental health of expectant and new parents,” Minister Hunt said.
“Many expectant and new parents do not seek help for perinatal depression and anxiety, because they do not know which emotions are normal, or because of the stigma associated with mental illness.
“PANDA’s services have never been more critical – and this additional funding will ensure the Helpline is there for new and expectant parents to seek the help they need, when they need it.”
The additional funding announced today will enable PANDA to build capacity on the Helpline, which has been in increasing demand during the pandemic, and enable it to continue to provide this vital service.
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, said that overall, perinatal depression and anxiety can affect around 100,000 Australian parents every year.
“Many women – and their partners – struggle with their mental health before or after giving birth.
“Statistics in Australia and around the world indicate at least one in five women will likely experience anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy and the postnatal period.
“Men can also experience perinatal mental illness, with about one in 10 expectant and new fathers experiencing depression, anxiety, or other forms of emotional distress in the perinatal period.
The Helpline can be accessed at 1300 726 306 from 9:00am to 7:30pm (AEST/AEDT) from Monday to Friday.
The Morrison Government provided a historic $2.3 billion in the 2020-21 Budget to deliver significant reform of the mental health system and ensure that all Australians have access to high quality, person-centred care as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This brings health expenditure in mental health and suicide prevention services and supports in 2021–22 to a record high of $6.5 billion.

Current and emerging para-athletes will benefit from the Australian Government’s investment in a new community, education and events centre at The Hangar at Tullamarine.
The new development features accessible training and accommodation facilities for para-athletes, a theatre and meeting rooms at the Essendon Football Club’s base which is also home to Paralympics Australia in Victoria.
An Australian Paralympic Sport Hall of Fame is also part of the development at the Hangar which Paralympics Australia have shared administration and training facilities with Essendon since 2013.
This centre is part of a $21 million expansion of the facility, with the Australian Government contributing $4 million to support purpose-built facilities for para-athletes.
Additional funding was provided by the Essendon Football Club and Victorian Government.
Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said the centre would also benefit the wider community.
“This facility will enable more para-athletes to realise their sporting potential and it also provides increased opportunities for people with a disability to enjoy sport and pathway programs,” Minister Colbeck said.
The centre will support a range of Paralympic sports including table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.
“The Australian Government is pleased to invest in projects that get more Australians involved in sport, bring communities together and support our elite athletes to pursue sporting success on the global stage.”
The 32 bed, nine dormitory accommodation, which is fully accessible, has been available for use by Paralympic athletes and teams since March 2021 and was a key facility in preparation for the recently held Tokyo Paralympics.
Minister Colbeck said the addition of accessible onsite accommodation will also make it easier for athletes and coaches attending Paralympics Australia camps at Tullamarine.
“Our Paralympians displayed incredible talent, teamwork and resilience to claim 80 medals including 21 gold at the Tokyo Paralympics and are a huge source of inspiration to all Australians,” Minister Colbeck said.
“As we turn our attention to the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games in March, these new facilities will help us increase participation at a higher number of training camps which will assist with high performance development and Paralympic talent identification, verification and retention.
“It will also be invaluable in the decade-long lead up to Brisbane 2032.
“More importantly, I hope it inspires more people with disability to participate in and enjoy sport from grassroots right up to elite level competition.”

Today, on International Volunteer Day we celebrate and thank the millions of volunteers across the nation who give their time selflessly to help and enrich lives.
Across Australia, it is estimated almost six million people volunteer through an organisation annually. This is almost one in three, aged 15 years and over.
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, said the innovation and support shown by volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic is inspiring and has had a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of many in our community.
“Whether it is handmade cards, a regular morning phone call or even an aged care facility window visit while in lockdown, no matter how big or small the gesture, volunteers continue to play an essential role in connecting our community,” Minister Colbeck said.
“I want to particularly mention the 10,300 volunteers working in the aged care sector who are supported by the Australian Government’s Community Visitors’ Scheme.”
The Community Visitors’ Scheme funds a range of organisations across the country connecting volunteers with aged care residents, such as Co.As.It, which runs ‘Adopt a Nonna or Nonno’ for people from non-English backgrounds, and ‘Out & About’, which connects older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) people through peer friendships and community connections.
“The impact of these connections on mental health and wellbeing can be truly life-changing, for the volunteer and the recipient,” Minister Colbeck said.
International Volunteer Day is a chance to acknowledge the people who give back to their communities in a meaningful way, and to be inspired.
Find out more about the Government’s Community Visitors’ Scheme, to register your interest in volunteering in your state or territory or seek a volunteer for a senior Australian in your life, by visiting the Department of Health website.
As part of the Australia Day Council Senior Australian of the Year Awards you can also nominate someone who has made a significant contribution or difference to their community, like 2022 ACT Senior Australian of the Year Valmai Dempsey in recognition of her 50+ years of volunteering.
Additional volunteering resources can also be found through the following websites:

• Older Persons Advocacy Network
• Volunteering Australia

The Australian Government has launched ReMade in Australia – a national campaign urging Australians to recycle more, and show how they can help create jobs and protect our environment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced ReMade in Australia at Sydney’s Woollahra Public School today, saying it was a critical step in giving Australians the confidence to recycle more and to buy products manufactured with recycled content.
“We are taking responsibility for our waste, we put a stop to it being shipped overseas as someone else’s problem and we have made recycling one of six national manufacturing priorities,” the Prime Minister said.
“Australians are doing the right thing and they want to be assured that the efforts they make in recycling at their homes and workplaces are delivering real outcomes, from the roads they drive on to the sunglasses they choose to wear.
“We need to recycle even more and this campaign will help consumers and business understand the benefits that recycling can deliver for our environment and for jobs.
“ReMade in Australia builds on the pride we all have in Australian made and the pride we take in doing the right thing for our environment.”
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said that recycling can reduce pressure on our environment and we want to create Australian manufacturing jobs.
“The ReMade in Australia campaign asks Australians to look for those products using recycled materials, it raises awareness about the ways recycled materials contribute to our everyday lives,” Minister Ley said.
“The Morrison Government is driving a billion dollar transformation of Australia’s waste and recycling industry, through the Recycling Modernisation Fund. We are seeing governments and industry investing in the commissioning of new plant and equipment, and our waste export bans are driving fundamental change.
“ReMade in Australia will help Australians understand the ways they are contributing through both recycling and the choices they make at the checkout.”
Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Trevor Evans said that now was the right time for Australian businesses and consumers to think ReMade Australia.
“This campaign taps into the pride Australians have in doing the right thing for the environment,” Assistant Minister Evans said.
“At a time of year when people are buying gifts and unwrapping tonnes of packaging it is all the more important to have recycling front of mind.”
Member for Wentworth Dave Sharma said that practical environmental action such as recycling was important to his community.
“The people of Wentworth care deeply about our environment and want sustainable ways to reduce their waste, in order to protect our global environment,” Mr Sharma said.
“Keeping waste out of our oceans and landscapes and turning it into resources that can be reused is something we can all be a part of, and this campaign will help spread that message.”
Launched this week online and in print, the campaign will include television advertising later this month as Australians buy new products and recycle everything from packaging to electronic food across Christmas and New Year.
Further information: https://www.awe.gov.au/remadeinaustralia

Vaccinating 5 to 11-year-old children in Australia against COVID-19 is a significant step closer, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) provisionally approving the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine as safe and effective for use among this age group.
Subject to final considerations and recommendations from the vaccination experts on the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), and other related approvals, the Australian Government will start rolling out the Pfizer vaccine to 5 to 11-year-olds from 10 January 2022.
The Government expects to receive ATAGI’s recommendations on how to incorporate this safe and effective vaccine into Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program over the coming weeks.
Subject to advice from ATAGI, vaccinating the approximately 2.3 million children aged 5 to 11 in Australia will build on the rapid uptake of vaccination among children aged 12 to 15. In just eleven weeks, more than 76.6% of this group have had at least one dose of vaccine, with 67.5% having completed their two-dose course of vaccination.
Across the country, 87.9% of Australians aged 16 or over are fully vaccinated. More than 92.8% have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
The TGA’s provisional approval of the Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds was based on a careful evaluation of available data to support its safety and efficacy among this age group.
The vaccine dose approved by the TGA for children aged 5 to 11 is the same safe and effective vaccine used for other age cohorts, however is one-third the dose approved for those aged 12 and over.
The Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds will be distributed to vaccine providers in different packaging to the vaccine approved for people 12 and over, and will be clearly differentiated by being dispensed from orange-capped vials instead of grey or purple capped vials.
As with other age groups, the use of this vaccine in children aged 5-11 years should be given in two doses at least 3 weeks apart.
Already, significant planning work has been undertaken involving the COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce, the states and territories primary health professionals in relation to how the vaccination rollout will be extended to children in this age group.
It is expected the vaccines would initially be made available through General Practices Aboriginal Health Services, community pharmacies and state and territory clinics.
Once the final ATAGI advice is received, further information on how to book a COVID-19 vaccination will be provided.
The Commonwealth Government will continue to work closely with vaccine providers and states and territories as a priority to provide the opportunity for children aged 5 to 11 to receive a first dose of this COVID-19 vaccine in the lead up to and in parallel with school returning in 2022.
The Government has an agreement in place with Pfizer to receive sufficient supply of the paediatric vaccine for the entire population of children aged 5 to 11 in Australia.
The first shipment of children’s doses are due to arrive in Australia by early January 2022 and will undergo the same rigorous batch testing processes in the TGA laboratories as other batches of COVID-19 vaccines.
The TGA is also currently evaluating an application from Moderna for its COVID-19 vaccine to be used in Australia for children aged 6 to 11 and the Government already has supply deals in place to make it available should it be approved by the TGA and recommended by ATAGI.
This two step TGA and ATAGI assessment and approval process is the same rigorous process followed for all COVID-19 vaccine approvals in Australia.