Month: September 2020

Greens Spokesperson for Communications and Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has welcomed the Government’s announcement of $5 million in funding to save newswire service AAP.
Senator Hanson-Young said:
“Earlier this week, I called on the Government to ensure the survival of AAP as they consider options for protecting public interest journalism through the ACCC News Media Code. I am glad that after months of uncertainty, the Government has finally come to the table with the support AAP needs.”
“AAP is key media infrastructure that helps new players into the market and diversity across Australia’s media landscape. Allowing AAP to collapse would entrench the power of big media companies, NewsCorp and Nine and lock out smaller and new players in the industry.”
“The current pandemic has shown us how important it is to have local and regional news. AAP is an essential part of making sure that all Australian communities have access to local news.”
“While today’s announcement has secured AAP’s short term future and will assist AAP’s transition to it’s new not-for-profit model, the newswire service may require the further government support in the future. I urge the Government to consider recurrent funding to ensure the viability of the of AAP so it can continue to play an essential role in ensuring that Australia has a strong and diverse public interest journalism industry.
“Another essential component of the Australian news industry is the ABC. To protect public interest journalism in Australia, I call on the Government to stop their relentless attacks on our national broadcaster and include the ABC and SBS in the upcoming legislation for the ACCC News Media Code.”

The National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, recent progress following the Victorian outbreak, easing restrictions (including international border measures), helping Australians prepare to go back to work in a COVID-safe environment and getting the economy moving again.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions to the health and economic consequences of COVID-19. Australia has done well on both the health and economic fronts compared to most countries around the world.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, provided an update on the latest epidemiological data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.
There have been more than 26,800 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 837 people have died.
Following Victoria’s second wave, there are now around 1,100 active cases in Australia, a decrease from 2,500 cases two weeks ago. In Victoria, infection rates continue to decline in a positive sign, while daily infection rates have remained low in all other states and territories. Some differences have emerged in testing rates between states and territories, and National Cabinet agreed the importance of enhancing testing. More than 7.2 million tests have been undertaken in Australia.
National Cabinet reaffirmed a suppression strategy for COVID-19 with the goal of no community transmission. Seven of Australia’s eight states and territories are successfully suppressing COVID-19, enabling most Australians in those jurisdictions to live and work in a COVID-safe economy.
National Cabinet recommitted to providing all necessary support to Victoria.
National Cabinet welcomed the Commonwealth’s $2 billion extension of the COVID-19 Health Measures package to support Medicare-subsidised telehealth and pathology services, GP-led respiratory clinics, home medicines delivery, public and private hospital services, as well as further investments in PPE. To date, over 30 million telehealth consultations have been delivered, with mental health telehealth consultations a priority. Telehealth services will be extended to 31 March 2021.
National Cabinet will meet again on Friday 16 October 2020.
ADF Support
National Cabinet welcomed an update from Lieutenant General John Frewen DSC AM, Head of the Defence COVID-19 Taskforce, on the contribution of the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force to the national pandemic response, particularly relating to Defence’s support to the states and territories.
As at 17 September 2020, there were 3,241 Defence personnel directly supporting Operation COVID ASSIST and contributing to the Commonwealth’s whole-of-government efforts. This included 1,306 personnel in Victoria, 736 personnel in New South Wales, 586 personnel in Queensland, 163 personnel in Western Australia, 152 personnel in South Australia and 128 personnel in the Northern Territory.
Full details of Defence’s contribution is provided in the attached chart.
Australians returning home
National Cabinet noted that there are a significant number of Australians wishing to return home from overseas, with the Commonwealth having taken steps recently to provide further support for those facing personal hardship.
National Cabinet agreed that all jurisdictions would continue to work towards enabling more Australians to return home by increasing the current caps on international passenger arrivals.
New South Wales and South Australia will continue to implement existing plans to accommodate more returning Australians by increasing their current international passenger arrival caps by Monday 28 September 2020 by 500 and 100 respectively.
Queensland and Western Australia will adopt a two-stage increase in their international passenger arrival caps over the next three weeks that will see an additional 500 Australians returning through each jurisdiction each week. Queensland will commence with an additional 200 passengers from Monday 28 September 2020, increasing to 500 passengers from Monday 5 October 2020. Western Australia will commence with an additional 200 passengers from Monday 28 September, increasing to 500 passengers from Monday 12 October 2020.
National Cabinet also agreed that any facilitation of special commercial services would be carried out through the jurisdictions of South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.
Contact tracing by domestic airlines
National Cabinet noted that domestic airlines will progressively implement four mandatory contact tracing data fields (name, email address, mobile phone number and state of residence) from 1 October 2020 on a mandatory basis during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This will be implemented by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications in-conjunction with domestic airlines.
Coordinating contact tracing efforts and quarantine arrangements
National Cabinet welcomed the review by Dr Alan Finkel AO and Commodore Mark Hill CSC on the lessons learned from the visit to Health NSW by Commonwealth and Victorian officials.
National Cabinet agreed to a review of systems and operations in all jurisdictions to strengthen capacity and capability to effectively track, trace and isolate COVID-19. Further, National Cabinet agreed to commission a report by Dr Finkel to enable jurisdictions to exchange case and outbreak management data to enhance the management of outbreaks nationally.
National Cabinet received an update from Jane Halton AO PSM on the review of state and territory hotel quarantine systems. Australia’s hotel quarantine system has performed well across most jurisdictions and Jane Halton’s work will provide useful guidance on improvements for state and territory governments.
Agriculture Workers Code
National Cabinet noted progress with implementation of the Agriculture Workers Code, which is on track to be implemented by Victoria, NSW, ACT and the Northern Territory by at least 25 September 2020 as provided for in the Code.
Rural and Regional National Cabinet Reform Committee
National Cabinet commissioned the new Rural and Regional National Cabinet Reform Committee. As a first tranche, the Committee will focus on developing a shared understanding of the quantum, status and impact of existing investments by governments in rural and regional communities and, by the end of 2020 provide advice to National Cabinet on options to improve the delivery of existing investments to support Australia’s COVID-19 economic recovery through strong and sustainable rural and regional communities.
Aged Care
National Cabinet noted progress on joint actions underway to meet the commitments it made on 21 August 2020 to boost aged care preparedness at the provider, local, state and national level.
National Cabinet noted that while all states and territories are considered to have good existing emergency response capabilities and are on track with establishing and/or scaling up virtual or physical Response Centres, further practical actions will be undertaken to ensure a high level of preparedness.
The Commonwealth will continue to work with the states and territories, including through the development of resources, to support the operation of response centres.
On 7 September 2020, AHPPC endorsed advice from its Aged Care Advisory Group that each state and territory should establish emergency response centres.
Within each jurisdictions’ public health response structure, a dedicated aged care emergency response team has been established and key personnel identified at the state and Commonwealth level.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is completing an infection control site visit program as part of its COVID-19 regulatory activity. As at 11 September 2020, the Commission has undertaken 673 visits relating to infection control out of a total 2,720 Residential aged care Facilities (RACF) (25 per cent). These visits are sequenced based on a risk assessment such that those visits represent those considered to be highest risk facilities. In total nationally, 2,446 visits to RACFs have been undertaken by the Commission, the Australian Defence Force, AUSMAT and state and territory governments.
Income tax exemption for small and medium business grants
The Commonwealth and Victoria have reached an agreement to make the grants to small and medium business recently announced under Victoria’s Business Resilience Package exempt from income tax. This recognises the exceptional circumstances Victorian businesses face.
The Commonwealth will extend this arrangement to all States and Territories on an application basis. Eligibility would be restricted to future grants program announcements for small and medium businesses facing similar circumstances to Victorian businesses. Any tax exemption would be time limited for grants paid until 30 June 2021.
AHPPC Advice on Boarding School Students
National Cabinet agreed to a new AHPPC Statement on Boarding Students and Students Living in Border Zones, which supports all jurisdictions adopting appropriate risk-based approaches (such as the Queensland approach) to ensure boarding students can cross borders and safely return home to their families during school holidays.

Millions of Australians will continue to receive medical care and support in their own homes with the Morrison Government investing more than $2 billion to extend a range of COVID-19 health measures for a further six months, to 31 March 2021.
Medicare-subsidised telehealth and pathology services, GP-led respiratory clinics, home medicines delivery, public and private hospital services will all be extended, as well as further investments in PPE.
These health initiatives play a major role in detecting, preventing and treating COVID-19.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the $2 billion extension in funding brought the Government’s commitment for the COVID-19 health response to more than $16.5 billion since March 2020.
“We will continue to provide Australians with critical health care and support to protect both lives and livelihoods,” the Prime Minister said.
“By providing telehealth and home delivery medicine services we are reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the community while also supporting people in isolation to get the care they need.
“Importantly this also includes mental health services, delivered over the phone, by trained specialists and GPs.
“As we continue to suppress COVID-19 while continuing to open our economy up, Australians can be reassured that we have the world’s best medical support in place to protect their health.”
Minister for Health Greg Hunt said “Our Governments response to the pandemic brought forward a 10 year plan on telehealth within 10 days.”
“As a consequence, over 30 million consultations protected the health and wellbeing of Australians, and protected our health workers and the viability of their practices.”
Patients will continue to have access to Medicare-subsidised telehealth for general practitioner, nursing, midwifery, allied health and allied mental health services, where and when they need them.
Telehealth is also being extended for essential specialist services, such as consultant physician, geriatrician, and neurosurgery services. Bulk billing will continue to be available and regular billing practices will apply to all of these services.
Up to 150 GP-led respiratory clinics across the country, which complement state run fever clinics, will continue their pivotal role in testing. Patients will continue to have access to bulk-billed COVID-19 tests under Medicare, with aged care residents and staff getting priority access to rapid testing.
Medicare-subsidised pathology and testing at the point of care will continue in 86 rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. This enables early identification of cases and rapid response if COVID-19 is detected in these highly vulnerable communities.
Eligible people will continue to get free home delivery of essential medicines by their local pharmacist. The Home Medicines Service has already delivered more than one million medicines to patients’ homes at no additional cost to patients.
Our support for states and territories continues, with the historic National Partnership Agreement ensuring the public health system is prepared and the public and private hospital systems are fully resourced and able to respond rapidly to any outbreak.
As an example, this agreement has enabled the transfer of more than 480 aged care residents to private hospitals and deployed clinical and nursing staff to assist in aged care during Victoria’s second wave.
The National Coronavirus Helpline will continue to operate around the clock providing important advice.
The expert Australian Health Protection Principal Committee recognises that future outbreaks will occur. The ongoing health response must be maintained to protect the health of Australians.