Category: Australian News

To support the Commonwealth’s first Closing the Gap Implementation Plan, the Morrison Government is investing over $300 million in health infrastructure and support to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can access health services, when and where they need them.
As part of our $1 billion investment in new Closing the Gap measures, we’re investing $254.4 million in infrastructure to better support the critical work of the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), which have been a significant part of the Government’s response to COVID-19.
ACCHOs are operated by and for Aboriginal communities, delivering comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary health care services, including administering COVID-19 vaccines across rural and remote Australia.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt said the Government was committed to improving health services for Indigenous Australians, their families and their communities.
“ACCHOs continue to play an important role in providing health support for Aboriginal communities, including during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister Hunt said.
“This additional funding will enable ACCHOs to improve their facilities and maintain the high level of care they offer their communities.”
The Government is also investing $45 million to ensure the best start in life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, through the Healthy Mums and Healthy Bubs program. This funding is in addition to the $82 million for the Connected Beginnings Program, which includes funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP said the program promotes healthy outcomes and healthy lifestyle choices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their babies.
“This will provide mothers with improved access to health care, including access to antenatal care from their health providers and provide support until the baby is one year old,” Minister Wyatt said.
“These programs complement and build on the Government’s investment of more than
$781.1 million in the 2021-22 Budget to prioritise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and ageing outcomes.”
The Closing the Gap Implementation Plan sets a foundation for the Commonwealth’s efforts over the next decade in achieving the targets in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, signed by all Australian governments in July 2020.
This whole-of-government Closing the Gap Implementation Plan was developed by Ministers, departments and agencies across the Commonwealth with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners, in particular the Coalition of Peaks.

The Morrison Government will deliver $22.8 million in new funding to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, forming part of the more than $1 billion commitment in targeted investments through the Commonwealth’s first Closing the Gap Implementation Plan.
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the increased investment in Indigenous languages is critical in making progress against the languages target in Closing the Gap.
“The Indigenous Languages and Arts program has a demonstrated track record of success and strong ongoing demand. This new investment will support the critical work needed to achieve language outcomes for Indigenous Australians,” Minister Fletcher said.
“Australia’s Indigenous languages are disappearing at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world. It is critical that these languages are recorded for use by current and future generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and this increased investment recognises the urgency and scale of the situation.”
Extra funding of $22.8 million for the ILA program includes:

• Funding to establish three new Indigenous language centres
• Additional funding to support existing ILA-funded Indigenous language centres
• Increased support for projects that protect the most at-risk Indigenous languages
• New investment in the development of place-based partnerships between Indigenous language centres and local service delivery partners in health and early childhood.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP, said that strengthening languages is central to achieving outcomes across all Closing the Gap targets, including in health, early childhood, and employment.
“Language is fundamentally important for Indigenous Australians, including for non-speakers,” Minister Wyatt said.
“Speaking language helps to keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people connected to their country. It also provides new job opportunities and supports improved outcomes in education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people – helping Indigenous communities to thrive.”
This enhanced support is designed to accelerate efforts by the network of ILA‑funded language centres to increase the number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken. It will also create new jobs and career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak Indigenous languages.
For more information on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, visit: www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/closing-gap

The Morrison Government is delivering $378.6 million for a financial and wellbeing redress scheme for living Stolen Generations members who were removed as children from their families in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory prior to their respective self-government and the Jervis Bay Territory.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was committed to delivering practical action on a long-standing issue of national importance.
“Earlier this year I met with the Healing Foundation and survivors of the stolen generations and I committed then that I would look at this important issue,” the Prime Minister said.
“Today we are delivering on that commitment with practical action that will positively impact the health and wellbeing of Stolen Generations survivors, their families and communities.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt said that supporting intergenerational healing was key to the Morrison Government’s commitment to Closing the Gap.
“Through the Commonwealth’s Closing the Gap Implementation Plan, the Morrison Government is committed to working in partnership and listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Minister Wyatt said.
“This announcement reflects the Government’s commitment to recognise and acknowledge the wrongs of the past as part of the nation’s journey to reconciliation, and this scheme represents a major step forward towards healing.”
The scheme will provide eligible applicants:

• A one-off payment of $75,000 in recognition of the harm caused by forced removal.
• A one-off healing assistance payment of $7,000 in recognition that the action to facilitate healing will be specific to each individual.
• The opportunity, if they choose, for each survivor to confidentially tell their story about the impact of their removal to a senior official within government, have it acknowledged and receive a face-to-face or written apology for their removal and resulting trauma.

The scheme will be open for applications from 1 March 2022 and will run until June 2026. While states will manage arrangements in their jurisdictions, the Morrison Government is ensuring this scheme is available in the territories administered by the Commonwealth in the past.
The Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme is part of $1 billion in new investments committed by the Commonwealth to implement the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
Additional information:
To be eligible for the scheme, recipients would be:

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people,
• under the age of 18 years at the time they were removed from their family by government bodies (including the police), churches/missions and/or welfare bodies, and in circumstances where their Indigeneity was a factor in their removal, and
• removed whilst living in the Northern Territory or in the Australian Capital Territory prior to their respective self-government or the Jervis Bay Territory.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency is working to establish the scheme over the next seven months, with the scheme open for applications from 1 March 2022.
Families of a Stolen Generations member who passes between 5 August 2021 and 1 March 2022 will be able to submit an application on their behalf.
The scheme will receive applications until 28 February 2026, with the remaining four months of the scheme providing time to process final applications, complete the personal responses and conduct an evaluation.

The Morrison Government has released the Commonwealth’s first Closing the Gap Implementation Plan, and with it committed more than $1 billion in new measures to support to help achieve Closing the Gap outcomes.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said with the release of the Plan, the Government was turning the commitments made under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap into practical action.
“This is a plan that’s been led together with Indigenous leaders, to back Indigenous communities,” the Prime Minister said.
“When we overhauled the Closing the Gap program we set four priority reforms to fundamentally change how governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people work together. This Implementation Plan details how governments will do our part to achieve those reforms.
“It highlights the real and practical actions to be taken across all areas of government and also commits funding to actions that will ensure we get there. We’ve listened together and are taking action together.
“We’re doing things differently with accountability and transparency, and in true partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders.
“This is a truly whole-of-government plan, developed by Ministers, departments and agencies across the Commonwealth with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners, in particular the Coalition of Peaks.
“This is a practical plan that builds from the ground up by making good on the harm caused to Stolen Generations survivors to supporting this and future generations of young people with more education opportunities.
“This plan is about real reconciliation, how we get there, and making sure all governments are held to account, state and federal.”
Measures announced with the release of the plan are focussed on new areas in the National Agreement that require early investment, like the Priority Reforms, justice and languages.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt said the measures included $378.6 million for a new redress scheme for Stolen Generations survivors from the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory. This scheme is critical to continue the nation’s reconciliation journey and will support healing.
“The scheme, for living survivors who were removed as children from their families in then-Commonwealth territories, includes a one-off payment in recognition of the harm caused by forced removal and gives each survivor the opportunity, should they wish, to tell their story and receive an individual apology,” Minister Wyatt said.
There are also new measures in areas which evidence suggests will have the greatest impact over the long term, including early childhood, health, education and supporting families.
“We are providing an additional $254.4 million towards infrastructure to better support Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations do their critical work, and on their terms. ACCHOs have been a significant part of the Government’s response to COVID-19 and this funding will improve their facilities and maintain the high level of care they offer their communities,” Minister Wyatt said.
“We are also investing $160 million in new funding to ensure the best start in life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, through initiatives such as the Healthy Mums and Healthy Bubs program, the Community Child Care Fund, the Connected Beginnings Program and the Early Years Education Program.”
Minister Wyatt said the Implementation Plan and associated investments showed the Commonwealth was serious about delivering on the National Agreement.
“This first Commonwealth Implementation Plan sets a foundation for our efforts in achieving the targets in the National Agreement over the coming decade,” Minister Wyatt said.
“We will report on our progress each year, and the plan will be updated at the same time in partnership and based on evidence and data. This will keep us accountable and ensure we are aligned with the priorities of the people it affects most.
“Progress and change are not a Commonwealth responsibility alone and all parties are responsible for delivering on the commitments in the National Agreement. States and territories are delivering their own implementation plans, and together with the Commonwealth’s Plan detail a full picture of the national effort being delivered under the partnership.
“All parties to the National Agreement are deeply committed to working together with a determination to forge a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.”
More information:
The Commonwealth Implementation Plan details the range of programs and strategies in place across the Commonwealth that contribute to Closing the Gap, as well as new investment and initiatives. Read the full list of new investments below.
The measures announced with the release of the Implementation Plan build on announcements in the 2021-22 Budget that also contribute to Closing the Gap, in areas such as mental health, jobs and skills, and aged care.
Commencing in 2022, the Commonwealth will produce an annual report to outline progress being made to deliver the actions outlined in the Plan and all other governments will do the same.
The Productivity Commission is maintaining a dashboard of data on all the targets and indicators at a national and state and territory level. It will also publish a data compilation report in July every year, as well as conduct a review every three years.
The Commonwealth Implementation Plan will be updated as necessary alongside the Commonwealth’s annual report. When the Commonwealth provides its annual report, it will also set priorities for the coming year. Setting priorities will be done in partnership and be built on what the data and evidence says is working and what isn’t.
Read the full Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan.

Senior Australians affected by ongoing lockdowns can access vital support services to ensure they stay socially connected and maintain their health.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said it was important older Australians and their families – particularly those living across hardest-hit local government areas in New South Wales and South East Queensland – understood what was available.
“Challenges remain for senior and vulnerable Australians as we continue to navigate the impact of the pandemic, particularly the effect of the Delta strain,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Staying connected and healthy has never been more important.
“Aged care services remain open and available to those who need them, especially for isolated Australians.”
The Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line (1800 171 866) is an important first step for any older Australians who need support or assistance.
Additionally, Australian Government has provided the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) with $4.3 million to help deliver education, information and advocacy services for senior Australians and their families.
This extends to making information accessible for residential aged care residents and their families in areas most affected by lockdowns.
OPAN also offers a Wellbeing Check service to ensure the provision of emotional or social support, particularly for those people who have reduced or cancelled home care services due to pandemic concerns.
It is available to both Home Care Package or Commonwealth Home Support program recipients.
“We know due to concerns about COVID-19, some senior Australians have reduced or cancelled their in-home aged care services,” Minister Colbeck said.
“We want to ensure people have the best information when making these decisions, as reduction of services may negatively impact health and wellbeing.”
Minister Colbeck said vaccination remained the key defence against COVID-19.
Almost 80 per cent of senior Australians aged 70 years and over have received a first dose COVID-19 vaccine, which demonstrates strong demand.
In addition, more than 86 per cent of people of any age in residential aged care have received their first dose and 83 per cent are fully vaccinated.
“Vaccination is the best protection against hospitalisation and death due to COVID-19,” Minister Colbeck said.  “Jabs can now be arranged through your GP, Commonwealth vaccination clinic or state and territory run vaccination clinics.”
For senior Australians with mobility issues, it is encouraged that you contact your GP to discuss the possibility of a home visit to receive your vaccination.
The Government continues to strongly encourage all in‑home and community aged care workers to get vaccinated.
Senior Australian COVID-19 support numbers and advocacy supports

• Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line – 1800 171 866
• Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement – 1800 22 22 00
• My Aged Care Contact Centre – 1800 200 422
• Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) – 1800 700 600 www.opan.com.au

A translation and interpreter service is available to access the above numbers (131 450). Senior Australians who require an interpreter can call this number select the language they speak and provide one of the COVID-19 support numbers to access the information in their own language.
Mental health services are also available for COVID-19 support:

• HeadtoHealth – www.headtohealth.gov.au
• Beyond Blue – 1800 512 348 or www.coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au
• Lifeline – 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
• Open Arms – 1800 011 046 or www.openarms.gov.au

The Government’s latest attempt to turn the Australian Renewable Energy Agency into a fossil fuel bank will be met once again by the Greens who say their disallowance motion still has the constitution and the Senate on its side.
The Greens will move to disallow those parts of the regulations that seek to turn ARENA into a fossil-fuel funder.
Previously, Angus Taylor’s ARENA regulations were described by a Liberal Party-headed committee as possibly illegal. The regulations were defeated in the Senate. 3rd parties have also made it clear that even if the laws were to make it through the parliament, they would be contested in the courts. The same applies to these new regulations.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt said:
“Angus Taylor’s crusade to spend more public dollars on coal and gas is as shambolic as it is reckless.”
“ARENA was created as part of the Greens-Labor Agreement and has been a shining light of job-creating, clean and cheap energy production.”
“ARENA creates such animosity amongst the coal-hugging Coalition because it’s been such a success. Fossil fuels are now begging for public handouts to stay afloat, but public money should go to renewables instead.”
“The only way to stop this government from trying to pour more tax dollars into propping up a dying industry is to kick the Liberals out and have the Greens in balance of power after next election.”

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has expressed alarm at reports that the Commonwealth is chasing Child Care Subsidy recipients for debts going back several years.
Senator Faruqi said:
“We are in the middle of a pandemic outbreak with millions of people in lockdown and out of work. The least the government can do is show a little humanity and waive these debts.
“Families are already paying through the nose for what should be – and briefly was – considered an essential service. Chasing families for debts just adds insult to injury.
“People are doing it really tough at the moment, and not just in lockdown areas.
“The child care subsidy system is inflexible, complicated, and still leaves families paying expensive gap fees. It’s time the government bit the bullet and made early learning and care universal and free.”

The Australian Government has today announced significant quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be made available for GPs, community pharmacies and other healthcare providers across south east Queensland who need to see their patients within their practices.
This decision follows the lockdown of the City of Brisbane, Moreton Bay Region, Redland City, Logan City, City of Ipswich, Shire of Noosa, City of Gold Coast, Lockyer Valley Region, Scenic Rim Region, Somerset Region and Sunshine Coast Region Local Government Areas.
Health professionals in these areas are able to request a package of PPE from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS) through their local Primary Health Network (PHN) from an initial allocation of up to:

• 725,000 surgical masks;
• 725,000 N95 masks;
• 175,000 pairs of gloves;
• 175,000 gowns; and
• 175,000 goggles.

These items will be made available through the five PHNs relevant to the Commonwealth hotspot, namely:

• Brisbane North;
• Brisbane South;
• Darling Downs and West Moreton;
• Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast; and
• Gold Coast.

These packages will assist to further supress the COVID-19 infection rate occurring across Queensland and builds on the recent commitment to support New South Wales and Victoria as announced on 12 July 2021 and 19 July 2021 respectively.
The Australian Government is committed to ensuring that healthcare professionals have access to the critical PPE supplies they require to continue to safely see their patients during this COVID-19 outbreak.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Australian Government has deployed more than 92 million masks, 6 million gowns, 14 million gloves and 5 million goggles and face shields from the National Medical Stockpile.

From Monday 9 August, children aged between 12 to 15 years old with either specific medical conditions, who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or live in a remote community will be able to receive a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
This follows a review of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in children aged 12-15 by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), which has recommended its use for children at a higher risk of severe illness if they contract COVID-19.
The Australian Government has accepted ATAGI’s updated recommendations, which include the following groups of children aged 12 to 15 be prioritised for the Pfizer vaccine:

• children with specified medical conditions that increase their risk of severe COVID-19, including severe asthma, diabetes, obesity, cardiac and circulatory congenital anomalies, neuro developmental disorders, epilepsy, immuno-compromised and trisomy 21
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
• all children aged 12–15 years in remote communities, as part of broader community outreach vaccination programs that provide vaccines for all ages (≥12 years).

This means that around 220,000 children aged between 12 to 15 years old will become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Minister Hunt, said the Government expected further recommendations regarding the use Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for the remainder of children aged 12 to 15 in the coming months.
“I would encourage all parents who have a child with a medical condition or are immuno-compromised to bring them forward for vaccination. We want to ensure all Australians are protected from COVID-19, including the most vulnerable in our community,” Minister Hunt said.
“To date, we’ve administered more than 12.3 million vaccines across Australia and I want to thank everyone who has come forward so far to receive their first and second doses, you’re doing an incredible job.”
ATAGI has reviewed available data on the safety and efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children aged 12 to 15, the risk of COVID-19 in this age group, and evidence of wider benefits and risks of vaccinating children.
This review follows the decision of the Therapeutics Goods Administration, who have extended its provisional registration of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from people aged 16 years and over to include children aged 12 to 15.
The National Cabinet has agreed in-principle to an updated four-step National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response (National Plan) taking into account the Doherty Institute COVID-19 modelling and the Commonwealth Department of Treasury economic analysis. This national plan is based on vaccination rates for people 16 years and above in line with the expert medical advice of the Doherty Institute.
Parents should check the COVID-19 eligibility checker from 9 August to book in their child’s vaccination. Children in remote indigenous communities will be able to receive the vaccine prior to the 9 of August in areas where in reach vaccination is occurring this week.
The Australian Government has secured more than 280 million COVID-19 vaccines, including 125 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

Federal Labor is calling on the Morrison Government to roll up its sleeves in the race to vaccinate the nation and provide a one-off $300 payment to every fully-vaccinated Australian.
This support would be a further incentive for Australians to be fully vaccinated and would deliver a much-needed shot in the arm for businesses and workers struggling from lockdowns made necessary by the Morrison Government’s failures with the vaccine rollout.
Vaccinations are a race Australians can no longer afford to lose.
The Morrison Government must make vaccines easily accessible to meet their target to vaccinate 80 per cent of adults.
The faster this is achieved, the faster the recovery as we emerge from lockdowns that are bleeding hundreds of millions of dollars a day from the nation’s finances.
That’s why Labor is proposing a $300 payment to every Australian citizen and resident who is fully vaccinated by 1 December.
The National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response released last Friday included measures “encouraging uptake through incentives” under Phase B. We think this should be a priority.
These payments will deliver significant cash stimulus for businesses who have paid the price for Scott Morrison’s failures on vaccines and quarantine for the past eighteen months.
The Government has guaranteed that Australia will have more than enough vaccines to meet the 80 per cent target by 1 December.
When Australia’s COVID response relied on Australians doing the right thing, our country was leading the world.
Now that Australians are relying on Scott Morrison to do his job and rollout the vaccines, we are coming last in the developed world.
Scott Morrison had two jobs this year, rolling out vaccines and fixing Australia’s quarantine system.
While the Prime Minister continues to shirk responsibility, Labor will continue to propose constructive solutions to protect the health of Australians and the economy.