Sunday, 26 July 2020
Byron Central Hospital fever clinic has confirmed two new positive COVID-19 cases following testing of a couple aged in their 60s who presented on 24 July 2020
Northern NSW Local Health District, media release, 25 July 2020:
Byron Central Hospital fever clinic has confirmed two new positive COVID-19 cases following testing of a couple aged in their 60s who presented yesterday.
The couple had recently returned from Sydney and their cases have been associated with a series of funeral gatherings and a church service attended by a woman in her 40s from the Fairfield area, in Sydney.
NSW Public Health Unit is conducting relevant interviews and contact tracing to ensure all steps are being taken to manage the risk. The couple are currently self isolating at home.
This now brings the total number of cases in Northern NSW to 58.
NNSWLHD cases by likely source of infection:
Source
Overseas or interstate acquired 53
Locally acquired – contact of a confirmed case or in a known cluster 4 Locally acquired- source not identified 1
Under investigation 0
Total 58
We encourage anyone with even the mildest of symptoms to come forward for testing to help contain community spread of COVID-19.
The symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, loss of smell and taste.
Even if minor symptoms develop, please seek testing and self-isolate.
Clinics are located at The Tweed Hospital, Byron Central Hospital, Lismore Base Hospital and Grafton Base Hospital, or other GP or pop up clinics in the region.
A full list of testing clinics can be found at: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/clinics.aspx
Australian governments receive yet another warning that mass extinction events are getting closer
All three tiers of Australian governments - federal, state and local - need to turn and face this reality.
Nature, Ecology & Evolution magazine, 20 July 2020:
Impact of 2019–2020 mega-fires on Australian fauna habitat
Michelle Ward, Ayesha I. T. Tulloch, James Q. Radford, Brooke A. Williams, April E. Reside, Stewart L. Macdonald, Helen J. Mayfield, Martine Maron, Hugh P. Possingham, Samantha J. Vine, James L. O’Connor, Emily J. Massingham, Aaron C. Greenville, John C. Z. Woinarski, Stephen T. Garnett, Mark Lintermans, Ben C. Scheele, Josie Carwardine, Dale G. Nimmo, David B. Lindenmayer, Robert M. Kooyman, Jeremy S. Simmonds, Laura J. Sonter & James E. M. Watson
Abstract
Australia’s 2019–2020 mega-fires were exacerbated by drought, anthropogenic climate change and existing land-use management.
Here, using a combination of remotely sensed data and species distribution models, we found these fires burnt ~97,000 km2 of vegetation across southern and eastern Australia, which is considered habitat for 832 species of native vertebrate fauna.
Seventy taxa had a substantial proportion (>30%) of habitat impacted; 21 of these were already listed as threatened with extinction.
To avoid further species declines, Australia must urgently reassess the extinction vulnerability of fire-impacted species and assist the recovery of populations in both burnt and unburnt areas.
Population recovery requires multipronged strategies aimed at ameliorating current and fire-induced threats, including proactively protecting unburnt habitats. [my yellow highlighting]
The Guardian, 21 July 2020:
The publication of the peer-reviewed study in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution followed the Morrison government on Monday releasing an independent review of the laws, known as the Environment Protection and Conservation Biodiversity (EPBC) Act.
The interim review led by Graeme Samuel, a former competition watchdog head, found Australia’s environment was in an unsustainable state of decline and the laws were not fit to address current and future environmental challenges.
Samuel recommended the introduction of national environmental standards that set clear rules for conservation protection while allowing sustainable development, and the establishment of an independent environmental regulator to monitor and enforce compliance.
The environment minister, Sussan Ley, agreed to develop environmental standards, but rejected the call for an independent regulator and said she would immediately start work on an accreditation process to devolve responsibility for most environmental approvals to the states and territories.
One of the Nature Ecology study’s authors, Prof James Watson, said the laws could be effective but only if protections were enforced.
The act, which has been widely criticised for failing to stem a developing extinction crisis, largely leaves decisions to the discretion of the environment minister of the day.....
Saturday, 25 July 2020
Australia 2020: and now for some economic bad news
On 23 July 2020 Australian Treasurer and Liberal MP for Kooyong Josh Frydenberg delivered a national economic and fiscal update.
He dutifully posted an upbeat media release and published the official update documents.
Here is a preliminary takeaway from this update*:
- total federal government payments have increased by $58.0 billion in 2019-20 and increased by $187.5 billion over the two years to 2020-21. The net impact of policy decisions since the 2019-20 MYEFO has increased payments by $58.0 billion in 2019-20 and $113.7 billion in 2020-21.
- declines in taxation receipts were $31.7 billion in 2019-20 and are expected to be $63.9 billion in 2020-21;
- the underlying cash balance is expected to decrease to an $85.8 billion deficit in 2019-20 and an $184.5 billion deficit in 2020-21. This is a a deterioration of $281.4 billion over these two years since the 2019-20 MYEFO;
- as a percentage of GDP the underlying cash balance is expected to be -9.7 per cent in 2020-21;
- debt levels have increased significantly. Gross debt was $546 billion (28.1 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2019 and $684.3 billion (34.4 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2020 and is expected to be $851.9 billion (45.0 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2021. With net debt at 30 June 2019 standing at 373.5 billion (19.2 per cent of GDP), expected to be $488.2 billion (24.6 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2020 and increase to $677.1 billion (35.7 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2021;
- on a calendar-year basis real GDP fell by 3.75 per cent;
- real GDP is forecast to have fallen sharply in the June quarter 2020 by 7 per cent;
- nominal GDP is expected to be -4.75 per cent in 2020-21;
- nationally 709,000 jobs were lost in the June quarter 2020;
- the unemployment rate in June 2020 was 7.4 per cent and is expected to peak at around 9.25 per cent in the December quarter 2020 and is forecast to be at 8.75 per cent in 2020-21;
- Treasury has predicted that immigration will fall to 31,000 individuals in 2020-21 which is likely to affect the national budget bottom line; and
- the Morrison Government's go-to remedy for the poor economic outlook is to (i) consider reducing the federal government's taxation income even further by est. $143 billion in personal income tax receipts over 10 years commencing in 2021-22, (ii) reduce welfare spending by further limiting eligibility and reducing payment levels for JobSeeker and JobKeeper recipients from 25 September 2020 with the Coronavirus Supplement due to be removed completely by 31 December 2020, (iii) incease the level of casual and insecure work via industrial relations 'reform', and (iv) encourage women to have more babies to compensate for the current moribund population growth rate.
* The Economic and Fiscal Update June 2020 is affected by the economic impacts of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and to a lesser extent by the the impacts of the 2019-20 bushfires.
Componding the situation is the high level of federal government borrowings which regularly occurred after 18 September 2013.
On 30 September 2013 the gross national debt stood at est. $220.67 billion and net national debt was $174.55 billion. At that time net national debt was in the vicinity of 13% of GDP.
By 2 April 2019 the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government had raised the gross national debt to $534.42 billion. That's more than double the national debt left by the previous Labor federal government.
On 2 April 2019 Frydenberg was predicting that gross national debt would rise to $627.26 billion by end of June 2019 with net national debt coming in at $373.47 billion and net debt predicted to come in at 19.2% of GDP by end of June.
By 30 June 2019 the federal government paid est. $18.15 billion in interest on this debt in the 2018-19 financial year.
The bottom line is that before either the bushfires or the pandemic even began the Morrison Government gross national debt stood at $546 billion or 28.1 per cent of Australia's GDP and net debt stood at 373.5 billion or 19.2 per cent of GDP by 30 June 2019.
Therefore emergency national funding for bushfires and pandemic only accounts for est. 23.5 per cent of the current national debt.
As at 30 May the Morrison Government's total liabilities in 2020 ran to $1,324.95 billion against assets of $700.74 billion according to Australian Government General Government Sector Monthly Financial Statements May 2020.
Tweet of the Week
WATCH: The race is on to save beachfront properties at risk of collapsing on the Central Coast, after huge swell smashed the coastline.— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) July 17, 2020
The full story, 6.00pm on #9News pic.twitter.com/Qg1JJHKuAQ
Friday, 24 July 2020
NSW-Victorian border controls tightened due to COVID-19 pandemic
NSW Police, Latest News, 22 July 2020:
The NSW Police Force is reminding the community that new border restrictions are in place and only valid permit holders will be allowed to enter NSW from Victoria.
The amendment to the Public Health (COVID-19 Border Control) Order 2020, under section 7 of the Public Health Act 2010, directs that as at 12.01am today (Wednesday 22 July 2020), entry into NSW from Victoria is not permitted unless strict exemption criteria can be met.
All permits approved under the previous order have expired and anyone eligible to travel into NSW must apply for a new permit on the Service NSW website.
A high-visibility operation remains in place, with police from across NSW working alongside Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to facilitate safe and lawful crossings along the border.
Operation Border Closure Commander, Assistant Commissioner Scott Whyte, urged the community to avoid travelling during the morning and afternoon peaks.
“Since the commencement of this operation, we have been working with the community and industry to minimise delays at checkpoints, and our best advice is not to travel unless it’s essential,” Assistant Commisisoner Whyte said.
“For those who must travel, they can help reduce overall delays by avoiding peak times, particularly at the major checkpoints.”
The major checkpoints are located at Albury/Wodonga, Moama/Echuca and Buronga/Mildura.
Assistant Commissioner Whyte added that being prepared to produce documentation and identification will also assist in reducing individual interaction times at checkpoints.
“As both police and the community adjust to the new permits, there will be delays in reviewing and clarifying details at checkpoints,” Assistant Commisisoner Whyte said.
“By having the paperwork ready to go, we can all save valuable time, which will add up if we can save a minute when facilitating each of the hundreds of crossings each hour.
“Finally, if you don’t have a permit, don’t come to the border. You will be turned around and if you don’t comply, we will take action.”
More information about the restrictions is available at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/what-you-can-and-cant-do-under-rules/border-restrictions.
The Public Health Act 2010 (NSW) provides police with the power to enforce Public Helath Orders. It is an offence for a person to fail to comply with an order, and severe penalties apply, which include a maximum penalty of up to $11,000 and/or six months imprisonment for individuals.
The standard penalty will be a $1000 fine by way of a Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN). It is an offence to provide false information when applying for exemptions, with a maximum penalty of up to $22,000 and/or two years imprisonment for individuals.
Police continue to appeal to the community to report suspected breaches of any ministerial direction or behaviour which may impact on the health and safety of the community.
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers:
https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au or 1800 333 000.
Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
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