Where the rain has been falling across Australia so far in 2021

The Weekly Times (Online), 3 October 2021:

AUSTRALIA’S WETTEST TOWNS OF 2021 VERSUS THE LONG-TERM AVERAGE

1. Carnarvon, WA – 408mm (186 per cent of its 12-month average)

2. Forbes, NSW – 813mm (169 per cent)

3. West Wyalong, NSW – 657mm (152 per cent)

4. Condobolin, NSW – 581mm (145 per cent)

5. Bega, NSW – 862mm (137 per cent)

6. Tibooburra, NSW – 244mm (136 per cent)

7. Mt Hope, NSW – 512mm (133 per cent)

8. Cunderdin, WA – 399mm (133 per cent)

9. Taree, NSW – 1450mm (133 per cent)

10. Braidwood, NSW – 827mm (132 per cent)

11. Ivanhoe, NSW – 298mm (128 per cent)

12. Morowa, WA – 355mm (126 per cent)

13. Albany, WA – 1002mm (126 per cent)

14. Walgett, NSW – 518mm (125 per cent)

15. Lake Cargelligo, NSW – 519mm (125 per cent)

16. Trangie, NSW – 612mm (124 per cent)

17. Orange, NSW – 1047mm (119 per cent)

18. Inverell, NSW – 902mm (117 per cent)

19. Cootamundra, NSW – 674mm (117 per cent)

20. Moree, NSW – 650mm (117 per cent)

21. Warialda, NSW – 796mm (117 per cent)

22. Temora, NSW – 609mm (116 per cent)

23. Texas, Queensland – 752mm (115 per cent)

24. Dubbo, NSW – 635mm (115 per cent)

25. Grenfell, NSW – 711mm (115 per cent)

26. Hillston, NSW – 423mm (115 per cent)

27. Pilliga, NSW – 632mm (114 per cent)

28. Mungindi, NSW – 574mm (114 per cent)

29. Young, NSW – 673mm (114 per cent)

30. Narrabri, NSW – 617mm (114 per cent)

31. Cairns, Queensland – 2264mm (114 per cent)

32. Bombala, NSW – 624mm (112 per cent)

33. Cowra, NSW – 708mm (111 per cent)

34. Glen Innes, NSW – 961mm (111 per cent)

35. Bourke, NSW – 325mm (110 per cent)

36. Goulburn, NSW – 589mm (110 per cent)

37. Canberra, ACT – 639mm (110 per cent)

38. Coonabarabran, NSW – 700mm (109 per cent)

39. Moss Vale, WA – 736mm (108 per cent)

40. Nowra, NSW – 937mm (108 per cent)

41. Busselton, WA – 728mm (107 per cent)

42. Taralga, NSW – 852mm (106 per cent)

43. Barraba, NSW – 730mm (106 per cent)

44. Omeo, VIC – 667mm (105 per cent)

45. Narrogin, WA – 513mm (104 per cent)

46. Narrandera, NSW – 445mm (104 per cent)

47. Cobar, NSW – 344mm (103 per cent)

48. Albury, NSW – 625mm (103 per cent)

49. Bathurst, NSW – 616mm (103 per cent)

50. Yarrawonga, VIC – 472mm (102 per cent)

51. Newdegate, WA – 375mm (102 per cent)

52. Grafton, NSW – 1009mm (102 per cent)

53. Katanning, WA – 453mm (102 per cent)

54. Gelantipy, VIC – 790mm (102 per cent)

55. Peak Hill, NSW – 568mm (101 per cent)

56. Tamworth, NSW – 623mm (101 per cent)

57. Gabo Island, VIC – 942mm (101 per cent)

58. Wagga Wagga, NSW – 570mm (100 per cent)

59. Wongan Hills, WA – 386mm (100 per cent)

60. Bendigo, VIC – 501mm (100 per cent)

61. Parkes, NSW – 619mm (100 per cent)

25th Annual Les Peterkin Portrait Prize, awards & commendations in September 2021

Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah:

Winning entries in the 2021 Les Peterkin Portrait Prize.

The Les Peterkin Portrait Prize (LPPP) is a collaborative project of Tyalgum Public School and the Tweed Regional Gallery, coordinated by Marianne Galluzzo. The LPPP is generously sponsored by the Tyalgum P&C Association, Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc., School Arts Supplies, Derivan and Bunnings South Tweed.

FIRST PRIZE
(11-13 years)
M.B., Colours of Me
Uki Public School

FIRST PRIZE
(8-10 years)
A.T., Hoodie Boy
St. Anthony's Primary School, Kingscliff

FIRST PRIZE
(5-7 years)
M.B., This is Me
Murwillumbah East Public School

JUDGES AWARD
(one of 10 presented)
K.S., Inner Dreaming
Centaur Public School, Banora Point

To see all the entries which received an award or commendation go to:

https://artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/LesPeterkin 

"Well done!" to every young artist who participated. 

Latest Newspoll has Federal Coalition neck and neck on the primary vote and Labor 6 points ahead on two-party preferred polling, as survey respondents mark PM Scott Morrison down following his mismanagement of the national pandemic response

 

The Australian

The Conversation, 18 July 2021:

Support for Scott Morrison and the government have slumped in Newspoll, in a major backlash against the botched vaccine rollout.

Labor has surged to a two-party lead of 53-47%, compared with 51-49% in the previous poll in late June.

The Australian reports the latest result is the worse for the Coalition this term, and if replicated at an election would deliver the government a clear loss.

Satisfaction with Morrison’s handling of the pandemic – which now sees lockdowns in the nation’s two largest states – plunged nine points in the last three weeks to 52%.

As the brought-forward Pfizer supplies start to arrive, confidence in the government’s management of the rollout is negative for the first time, with only 40% believing it being handled satisfactorily.

Morrison’s net approval in Newspoll – plus 6 – is at its lowest since the bushfire crisis, with an eight point overall shift. Anthony Albanese’s position worsened a little – he is on net minus 8. Despite a small drop, Morrison retains a solid lead over Albanese as better PM – 51-33%

Both Labor and the Coalition are polling 39% on primary votes – a two point fall for the Coalition and an equal rise for Labor.

The poll saw an 18 point drop in satisfaction with the handling of COVID since April.

Satisfaction with the government’s handling of the rollout was 53% in April and 50% in late June - in this poll 40% are satisfied with the handling and 57% are not…...

Uncertainty continues over Australian rollout dates for COVID-19 mass vaccinations

The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 January 2020:

Australia’s vaccine rollout plan is under a cloud after the European Union slapped export controls on COVID-19 vaccines produced within their territory, including the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs the Morrison government is relying on.

The controls, which effectively mean vaccine producers must ask for permission before shipping vials outside the region, will at the very least slow the distribution process for countries outside Europe. 

A spokesman for Health Minister Greg Hunt did not answer specific questions about what the European decision means for Australia’s vaccine rollout. Australia has ordered 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which is being manufactured in Belgium. The first shipment of at least 80,000 doses is due by the end of February.

On ABC News on 25 January 2021, Pfizer Australia Managing Director Anne Harris says surging demand for the Pfizer vaccine around the world has delayed the rollout of the vaccination program in Australia. She is anticipating that there will be a two week delay so the Pfizer vaccine will not arrive until later in February at the earliest.

Bloomberg, 26 January 2021:

European Union regulators proposed requiring drugmakers to flag exports of coronavirus vaccines in advance as the bloc seeks to step up inoculations amid growing anger about delivery delays by AstraZeneca Plc, which faces a fresh grilling at mid-week. 

The proposed “transparency mechanism” for vaccine exports comes after the European Commission expressed “deep dissatisfaction” with a disclosure by Astra that planned deliveries of its Covid-19 vaccine would face delays. The EU’s executive arm says that this would mean significantly fewer deliveries of the jab this quarter than what was foreseen in the advance purchase agreement struck between the two sides last summer.....

The federal government's phased rollout plan is that the vaccines will initially be available at between 30-50 hospitals around the country, with exact locations yet to be confirmed. Then the rollout will be extended to est. 1,000 locations, including GP practices, dedicated vaccine clinics and community health centres. Residential aged care and disability care facilities will be delivered doses to be injected into residents and staff on-site.

The rollout is intended to cover 25.7 million people.

In Phase 1a quarantine and border staff, frontline health workers, aged care and disability staff and residents, will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Up to 1.4 million doses expected to be available.

Phase 1b will see anyone aged over 70, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are over 55, other healthcare workers, younger adults with an underlying condition and high-risk workers will receive a vaccine - likely to be the AstraZeneca vaccine. Up to 14.8 million doses expected to be available.

Phase 2a covers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are between 18-54 years of age, along with others in the population over 50 years old and other critical high-risk workers. Up to 15.8 million doses expected to be available.

Phase 2b is the rest of the adult population, plus anyone from the previous phases that have been missed out. Up to 16 million doses expected to be available.

Phase 3 will see child vaccination but only, but only if medically recommended. Up to 13 million does expected to be available.

NOTE: It is unclear whether the term "dose" is for the preliminary first dose of the two-dose vaccines or refers to the total vaccination per person. As other government documents mention an expectation of acquiring over 104.8 million doses of these two COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, it would appear it is likely the first dose which is mentioned in the three phases. 

UPDATE

The Guardian reported on 29 January 2021 that due to supply issues AstraZeneca is unable to meet the Morrison Government's initial order of 3.8 million doses of its vaccine and the order has been reduced to 1.2 million doses. At this stage Australia's order of 10 million vaccine doses from Pfizer remains unchanged.