Category: Australian News

From next week Australians who are severely immunocompromised will be offered the option to receive a third COVID-19 vaccine dose to boost their protection against COVID-19 to the highest level.
This follows advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and other leading vaccination and health experts.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said research showed that some people who are severely immunocompromised may need a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to maximise protection.
“Australians who are severely immunocompromised may have a decreased immune response to a COVID-19 vaccination and be more at risk from severe COVID-19. An additional booster dose for this specific cohort will ensure they continue to be protected,” Minister Hunt said.
“If you or someone in your family are severely immunocompromised, we encourage you to reach out to your GP or specialist to discuss whether an additional dose is required.”
It is expected that up to approximately 500,000 people are severely immunocompromised in Australia and may need a third dose of vaccine over the coming months. This includes people who are being actively treated for cancer, organ failure, or being treated with a range of immunosuppressive or biologic therapies.
The recommended interval for the third dose is two to six months after their second dose of vaccine. ATAGI’s advice is that an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) is the preferred option for a third dose.
Importantly, Australians who are mildly to moderately immunocompromised are not currently being recommended by ATAGI to have a third dose at this stage.
While vaccines are our best defence against COVID-19, Australians are reminded to continue implementing other safety measures to reduce their risk of contracting the virus. Physical distancing, hand washing, wearing a face mask, and following other public health measures continue to be important for public safety.
The Government expects to receive advice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration and ATAGI within the coming weeks about the administration of booster doses for the general population. Advice on booster doses will be made public as soon as possible.
With over 151 million Pfizer, Novavax and Moderna vaccines already secured for supply into the future, Australia is well prepared to provide booster doses if they are recommended by the medical experts.
In October, there are sufficient doses available to offer every Australian a first or second dose vaccination. Around two million vaccinations are now being administered each week in Australia. To date, nearly 82 per cent of the population over the age of 16 has received one vaccine dose, and more than 60 per cent are fully vaccinated.
To book a COVID-19 vaccination today, visit https://www.australia.gov.au/

The Australian Government cannot just wash its hands of the people it exiled to Papua New Guinea, the Greens say.
“Today is a day to remember the people who died as a result of being illegally exiled to Papua New Guinea, and the countless other lives that were destroyed,” Greens Immigration spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.
“People who sought asylum in Australia remain Australia’s responsibility under international law, and no amount of bureaucratic maneuvering can change that fact.
“Offshore detention has been a humanitarian calamity at every level, and has cost Australia tens of billions of dollars.
“While offshore detention in Papua New Guinea will end, perhaps its most shameful legacy is the adoption of the same brutal policies and rhetoric in so many other countries around the world.”
“The people remaining in Papua New Guinea should be brought immediately to Australia and allowed to resettle here.”

The Greens’ model for a National Integrity Commission, which passed the Senate two years ago, has been given top marks by The Centre for Public Integrity, while the Morrison model was judged “the weakest in the country”.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
“This PM’s integrity body proposal has today been given an F for flaccid.
“Under his pathetic proposal many of the misconduct scandals involving current and former government MPs would slip through the net.
“Morrison knows that half of the members of his Cabinet have serious integrity questions to answer, which could explain why his model is deliberately weak. It wouldn’t be able to hold public hearings, initiate its own investigations, act retrospectively, make findings of fact or report publicly.
“It would also only investigate ‘serious’ criminal corruption – such a high bar so as to render it inapplicable to much of the dodgy conduct we’ve seen from federal politicians.
“It’s long overdue, and it’s so undercooked it looks like it’s deliberately designed to fail.
“By contrast, the Greens’ National Integrity Commission bill establishes an effective body that allows for public hearings, retrospectivity and the ability to investigate anonymous tip-offs, balanced with appropriate safeguards and privacy provisions.
“Morrison should listen to the Australian people and bring on the Greens’ bill for debate in the House when parliament resumes. If he doesn’t, the Greens will attempt to force the PM’s hand by moving a concurrence motion.
“The Australian people know that corruption and misconduct are rife at the federal level. It’s time for the PM to restore confidence in our democracy.”

Labor’s decision to let big corporations keep JobKeeper profits is a complete capitulation, the Greens say.
“We know that $13 billion went to boosting the bottom line of profitable companies during the pandemic,” Greens Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.
“The fact that Labor is happy for big corporations to keep this money just shows that they are far more focused on their big donors than helping people who need it most.”
“JobKeeper turned into one of the biggest rorts in Australian corporate history, and the money that corporations didn’t need should be clawed back and spent on schools and hospitals.”
“This is a shocking capitulation – we’ve got a plan to force large, profitable corporations to pay back JobKeeper – and we’ll keep hammering the major parties on their support for corporate greed.”
“The Greens Bill is currently before a Senate Inquiry and we will keep the pressure on the government, even if Labor won’t.”

Food and nutrition for aged care residents across Australia will come into sharp focus as providers deliver their first reports under mechanisms to strengthen individual care.
In a continued response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the online reporting will improve transparency and standards, as providers receive increased funding through the basic daily fee of $10 per resident per day.
Residential aged care providers were required to commit to reporting on their services, in particular food and nutrition, as a prerequisite to receiving the funding boost.
The initiative aims to improve and strengthen one-on-one care for senior and vulnerable Australians in residential aged care settings across the country, and is part of the overall $17.7 billion the Australian Government is providing in response to the Royal Commission report.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, and Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said 99 per cent of providers had taken up the 2021 Basic Daily Fee supplement, which requires a commitment from them to provide good quality services with a focus on food and nutrition.
“Such a strong take up must be commended and we now expect that all aged care providers will use these funds to deliver improved care, including food and nutrition, to senior Australians.”
“Food and nutrition is so important to keep our senior Australians healthy. The Department of Health is working with dietitians and nutrition experts to ensure the reports capture useful information, and most importantly improves the health of people living in aged care.”
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the 2021 Basic Daily Fee is part of a $3.22 billion investment by Government into residential aged care which includes the increased supplement.
In the first month alone, the Government has paid out over $53.7 million to support providers through the 2021 basic daily fee.
“This is a significant investment towards improving the care which senior Australians, their families and the community rightly expect in residential aged care,” Minister Colbeck said.
The 2021 basic daily fee reporting process is now open through the My Aged Care portal and must be completed by 21 October 2021, recording expenditure and hours, including spending on food and ingredients.
“We also require providers to detail how they are working to improve their daily living service offerings including food and nutrition, to gauge how the sector is delivering more for the senior Australians in their care,” Minister Colbeck said.
The information will be used to provide insights into sector trends, to inform future policy, and may be used by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission for the purposes of regulatory intelligence. It is intended sector wide information and insights on food and nutrition will be made publicly available.
Providers who do not submit a report by the due date will have their basic daily fee supplements suspended until the report is submitted. Given that there is no option for back-payment, providers are encouraged to submit these as soon as possible.
The Morrison Government is also investing a further $14.2 million to review and strengthen the quality standards in residential aged care, with a focus on governance, diversity, dementia, food and nutrition.
Information about the reforms can be found here.
To have your say on how the reforms are delivered, visiting the Ageing and Aged Care Engagement Hub here.
Nutrition Week will run this year from 10 to 16 October. Find out more here.

A program that provides young doctors with the experience of training in a rural general practice or Aboriginal Medical Services and provides more medical care to regional, rural and remote communities is being extended by the Federal Coalition Government.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie said extending the Rural Junior Doctor Training Innovation Fund (RJDTIF) for another year will mean 60 fulltime-equivalent rurally based interns and postgraduate doctors can undertake training in country practices.
“This program allows early-career doctors to take the opportunity to train in the rural communities where clinical opportunities are abundant, while also enjoying the benefits of a regional or rural lifestyle,” Dr Gillespie said.
“There is strong evidence that undertaking medical training in a regional or rural setting increases retention rates.
“The program has already benefitted more than 50 towns and 80 sites across regional, rural, and remote locations, such Nhulunbuy in the NT, Goondiwindi in QLD and Bega in NSW with approximately 814 rotations since 2018.”
Dr Gillespie, who worked as a regional doctor for more than 30 years before becoming a MP, said the funding extension is being provided to the 15 organisations currently funded through the program.
“The organisations receiving funding for 2022, will support around 240 rotations in general practices and Aboriginal Medical Services, meaning increased access to health professionals for those in the regions,” Dr Gillespie said.
“The program helps to build our rural health workforce and helps to deliver quality healthcare to regional, rural and remote Australians.
“The Nationals in Government are committed to improving access to quality health care in the bush and helping early-career doctors to gain experience in primary care while they progress their medical training in rural Australia is an important foundation for that.”
The Federal Government is providing $11.7 million to continue the RJDTIF program for the 2022 academic year. The funding is being provided through a closed non-competitive approach and rotation locations will be announced at the conclusion of grant round.
More than $36 million has been provided to the program which assists junior doctors in their first or second postgraduate years to train in rural general practices by the Federal Government since 2018.
The new John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program (JFPDP), announced as part of the 2021-22 Budget, will consolidate the RJDTIF to increase rural primary care rotations for hospital-based prevocational doctors from 440 rotations (100 FTE) in 2022 incrementally to 800 rotations (200 FTE) by 2025. This will enable an additional 360 hospital-based junior to doctors to experience rural general practice.

The West Australian Labor party has passed a motion to raise the age of legal responsibility to 14 at their State conference. The Greens spokesperson for Justice and First Nations: Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe has called it, “A step in the right direction.”
“It’s good to see WA Labor listening to the evidence from the Australian Medical Association, the United Nations Human Rights Council and adopting the Greens policy. Children belong in classrooms and playgrounds, not in handcuffs, courtrooms or prison cells.
“The justice system doesn’t work for us, it works against us. It has done this for over 240 years. We need to provide cultural preventative pathways for our young people. Community-run services have proven to be more effective at prevention and building strong and healthy communities.”
In a national first, the Greens secured a commitment to raise the age of legal responsibility in the Australian Capital Territory in August last year, while the Victorian and Queensland Greens have introduced bills to raise the age in their respective state parliaments.
“We can do this, we have to continue to apply the pressure on state and territory governments to do the right thing and get our kids out of the courts or prisons and back into community.” Said Thorpe.
Quotes attributable to the Greens Senator for Western Australia, Yamatji-Noongar woman Dorinda Cox:
“This is a significant human rights issue; and it is pleasing to see WA Labor listening to the 70 organisations who have been calling for this change but we now need to see that policy translated from the Party to the Parliament.
“Ten years of age is when a child is still learning, so we must be preventing them from entering the justice system in the first place and diverting them to on country programs designed and delivered by First Nations people in their own communities.
“Every parent with a child under 10 understands how very vulnerable they are and if they are set on the right path of education, their way of living and their understanding of their world. We can start work early with other parts of the system to build positive, contributing adults later on.
“Social reinvestment in the community is the solution to youth justice. The system now is not a restorative justice process, that is not driven by trauma informed practice, or the social issues that is driving justice.
“We need alternatives to prison, detention is not the only solution. From a system level we need a legislative policy reform and we need to be innovative in the way we work with First Nations communities and the capacity they have to work with young people.” Said Cox.

In the wake of the NSW ICAC investigating former Premier Gladys Berejiklian, the Greens will move a concurrence motion in the next parliamentary sitting week to force the House to debate the Greens’ National Integrity Commission Bill, which the PM has refused to bring on despite the Senate passing it more than two years ago.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
“The NSW ICAC has seen a Premier appropriately stand down so an investigation can be completed, but there is still no federal equivalent body, despite more than half the Morrison Cabinet having been the subject of integrity scandals.
“The Australian public know that corruption and lack of integrity are rife at the federal level, and they know the Government’s long overdue proposal is deliberately weak.
“Under the Morrison proposal many of the misconduct scandals involving current and former Government MPs would not be caught.
“It wouldn’t hold public hearings nor be able to initiate investigations without a referral from the government – a toothless watchdog by design.
“The PM’s comments this morning that the NSW ICAC assumes guilt before an investigation are patently wrong and are designed to justify his pathetically weak proposal for a toothless body that wouldn’t have applied to or stopped many of the scandals we’ve seen plaguing his government.
“By contrast, the Greens’ bill to establish a strong, independent, effective National Integrity Commission allows for public hearings, retrospectivity and the ability to investigate anonymous tip-offs, balanced with appropriate safeguards and privacy provisions.
“It passed the Senate more than two years ago – the PM just needs to bring it on for debate in the House and the Australian people could have a federal anti-corruption body in place by Christmas.
“When parliament resumes, the Greens will attempt to force the PM’s hand by moving a concurrence motion, compelling the government to bring on my National Integrity Commission Bill in the House of Representatives.
“The PM needs to listen to the Australian people and get this done.”

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young responded to the announcement the Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has approved another new coal project, the third in a month:
“Australia’s so-called Environment Minister is at it again, approving another coal mine that will destroy the environment, endanger wildlife and pollute the climate.
“Approving this coal mine a month out from the global climate summit in Glasgow shows a complete disregard by the Environment Minister for the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions.
“While the rest of the world is committing to strong targets to reduce pollution and plans to move away from fossil fuels, the Morrison Government is expanding coal in the middle of the climate crisis.
“Sussan Ley also continues to show she has zero ambition to end Australia’s extinction crisis and protect our wildlife from mines, developments and pollution.
“The Minister has approved the destruction of the habitat of endangered regent honeyeaters and vulnerable grey-headed flying fox that call the site of this mine home.
“Sussan Ley is failing as a Minister for the Environment and our environment laws are letting her get away with it.
“The Samuel Review recommended immediate changes to offsets to ensure they do not contribute to environmental decline – yet the Minister has changed nothing and again approved another project with offsets.
“This madness of approving new coal mines and more land clearing must stop. Australia should be joining countries around the world and pledging a zero extinction target, together with a strong 2030 emissions reduction target.”

National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, recent outbreaks of COVID-19 and the Australian COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy.
National Cabinet expressed its gratitude to outgoing New South Wales Premier, the Hon Gladys Berejiklian. As a founding member of National Cabinet, the Premier has made a significant contribution to the national pandemic response and been a driving force to lead New South Wales through the pandemic, saving lives and livelihoods.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions for the health and economic consequences of COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 107,171 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 1,307 people have died. More than 38 million tests have been undertaken, with 1,350,083 tests reported in the past 7 days.
Globally there have been over 233.6 million cases and sadly over 4.7 million deaths, with 486,746 new cases and 9,002 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out continues to expand. To date, over 28 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 341,129 in the previous 24 hours.
In the previous 7 days, more than 1.9 million vaccines have been administered in Australia. More than 78.4 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 years and over have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 89.4 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 94.8 per cent of over 70 year olds.
More than 55 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over are now fully vaccinated, including almost 72 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 79 per cent of Australians over 70 years of age.
Today, Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly provided an update on current outbreaks of COVID-19. The Chief Medical Officer noted the outbreaks in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
All leaders reiterated the importance of Australians, especially those in vulnerable groups, to get two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Professor Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health, provided an update on the work being done by the Commonwealth and all states and territories looking at health system capacity for managing COVID-19 cases during Phases B and C of the National Plan, and the Chief Medical Officer provided an update on the Test, Trace, Isolate and Quarantine (TTIQ) work underway through Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).
National Cabinet received a briefing from Lieutenant General John Frewen, DSC, AM, Coordinator General of the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce (Operation COVID Shield). Specific workstreams are underway to support a higher level of vaccination uptake amongst Indigenous Australians and the disability sector. mRNA vaccines are now available for Australians aged 60 years and above across the majority of Australia, including all primary care settings.
National Cabinet agreed to meet next on Friday, 5 November 2021.
Vaccine Rollout
Lieutenant General John Frewen, DSC, AM provided a detailed update to National Cabinet on plans to increase vaccination rates amongst disabled and Indigenous Australians. With sufficient supplies available in October to vaccinate all Australians, and with around 10,000 vaccination sites, additional measures are being enacted to support uptake and reduce hesitancy.
National Cabinet noted the preliminary advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on booster doses, published on 23 September 2021. ATAGI will provide further advice on third dose requirements for specified individuals to complete their primary course vaccination in October. The Commonwealth will provide an update on boosters and third dose vaccinations following advice from ATAGI, with significant planning underway with states and territories to commence a booster/third shot program in late 2021, subject to ATAGI advice.
National Cabinet noted the AHPPC statements on schools, mandatory vaccinations of health care workers, ventilation and visitation in aged care, which recommend increased visitation for families of people in residential aged care facilities and actions to support schools to remain open.
Health System Capacity
National Cabinet received advice from the Health System Capacity Cross Jurisdictional Working Group on surge planning and that all states and territories confirmed that effective systems were in place at a state and territory level. National Cabinet requested further analysis of regional reports of the Local Health Network (LHN)/Primary Health Network (PHN) collaborative care pathways.
National Plan to Transition Australia’s COVID-19 Response
National Cabinet received an update from Professor Jodie McVernon from the Doherty Institute. National Cabinet noted but did not yet endorse the interim analysis showing that TTIQ measures continue to contribute to controlling transmission of the Delta variant, and that case-initiated contact tracing, as has been used in the recent NSW Delta outbreak, can effectively assist health responses in outbreaks involving high case numbers to deliver an effective partial TTIQ impact. National Cabinet further noted the interim update on 7-day home quarantine for vaccinated arrivals and infection risk. To assist with further planning for possible future 7-day quarantine arrangements, all states and territories committed to providing more detailed data on COVID cases recorded in their hotel quarantine systems.
National Cabinet noted the Commonwealth’s updated progress to adjust border settings to allow for safe and secure international travel by vaccinated Australians.
International travel for fully vaccinated
The Commonwealth will introduce an International COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate for outbound travellers to present at foreign borders and at the Australian border. This certificate has been designed to meet the new standards specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and endorsed by the World Health Organization.
The international certificate will display a Visible Digital Seal (VDS), as specified by the ICAO standard. A VDS is a QR code that’s as secure as a passport chip, using the same highly secure e-passport technology. VDS is compatible with existing passport control systems around the world and with COVID-19 travel apps such as the IATA Travel Pass that many airlines are using.
The new international certificates will become available for Australians by the end of October, both digitally and in printable form, through a simple process in myGov.
TGA ‘recognition’ of two new vaccines
The TGA has provided advice that Coronavac (Sinovac) and Covishield (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India) vaccines be considered ‘recognised vaccines’ for incoming international travellers to be regarded as appropriately vaccinated. This is in addition to the four vaccines approved for use in Australia – Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
This advice follows detailed assessments by the TGA to determine the protection against infection and serious illness offered by vaccines not registered for use in Australia.
‘Recognition’ status does not constitute Australian regulatory approval, as regulatory approval would enable a company to provide that vaccine for administration within Australia.
Recognition of these vaccines supports Australians to be able to return who have had these vaccinations overseas, and will enable reopening to other groups such as international students who have been vaccinated with these vaccines in countries such as Indonesia, India and China.
Facilitated Commercial Flights
The Commonwealth outlined its offer of assistance to source and coordinate suitable cohorts of returning Australians for a home quarantine trial.
Implementation of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements
National Cabinet received an update on progress with the implementation of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. National Cabinet noted that while delivery of many of the recommendations were underway, more needed to be done to be prepared for the coming high risk weather season.
National Cabinet agreed that jurisdictions would focus on urgently delivering the seven priority areas identified by the National Federation Reform Council. Emergency Management Ministers have been asked to identify additional actions for immediate delivery before the end of the year.
At the next meeting, National Cabinet will receive a briefing on the 2021-22 high risk weather season.
Energy – National Cabinet Reform Committee
National Cabinet endorsed the final package of reforms for the post-2025 National Electricity Market, as agreed by the Energy National Cabinet Reform Committee.
The proposed reforms act on the recommendations of the Energy Security Board (ESB), following two years of widespread consultation and in-depth analysis.
The full suite of reforms set out immediate, initial and long-term changes to deliver a fit-for-purpose electricity market into the future. This includes further work and design principles for a potential capacity mechanism to deliver investment in an efficient mix of capacity that meets reliability at lowest cost. The ESB will also continue further work on a congestion management model.
This outcome demonstrates the shared commitment across all National Energy Market jurisdictions to deliver affordable, reliable electricity to consumers.