As the NSW Perrottet Government continues with its plan to reduce its COVID-19 contact tracing & venue alert system.....

There are lessons to be learnt here by NSW Premier Perrottet's COVID-19 crisis committee - now renamed the COVID and Economic Recovery Committee - and NSW Health. However I'm not quite sure that they will learn these. 

Lesson Number One: As government & its agencies rollback aspects of the public health response to the Delta Variant Outbreak make sure these changes are fully explain in detail to regional communities - especially those experiencing COVID-19 community transmission for the first time since the outbreak began in June 2021.  

Make your explanations at a local level via commercial & community radio, newspapers, television - as well as by social media - and make the effort to inform in a timely manner.

Don't just do this once. Put your hands in departmental pockets and pay for community notices/advertisements every time changes are made - because what you are doing now just breeds distrust.

The Daily Telegraph, 25 October 2021:

Owners of a South Grafton business say they are disappointed at the lack of communication from NSW Health authorities after a person with Covid-19 visited their store. 

 Almost two weeks have passed since a Covid-positive customer entered Craig’s Birdplace and Pet Shop, but owners Linda and Iven Craig said they had not been notified by NSW Health. 

“We were actually informed through a friend of the person who tested positive; they wanted to get the information out there as soon as possible,” Mrs Craig said. 

“We contacted the health department who told us someone will call us back for further instructions, but they never did.” The next day, the pet shop, along with several other South Grafton businesses, was listed as a venue of concern on the NSW Health website. 

“It was on Facebook, mentioned on television news, mentioned in the paper, that we were a positive contact, but still the health department hadn’t contacted us, and still haven’t contacted us,” Mrs Craig said. 

“Another business down the road had no idea they were even on the list because no one had contacted them.” Mrs Craig said they immediately closed the store, cleaned the site and everyone got tested. 

Thankfully all received a negative result. 

They then reviewed security footage to find out how many people entered the store on October 5 between 2pm and 2.30pm, when the person with the virus reportedly visited. 

“Only four came here during that time-frame, but only two scanned in,” Mrs Craig said. 

After making her own inquiries, Mrs Craig said it turned out the customers who visited in that time-frame all tested negative to the virus. 

“We actually discovered that the time (the customer with Covid-19 visited the store) was wrong,” she said. 

“The positive person didn’t come in between 2pm and 2.30pm, they came in between 3pm and 3.30pm.” Mrs Craig said the person was wearing a mask in the store, but failed to sign in. 

“We’ve heard that the person has gotten over it really well,” she said. “They said they didn’t have any signs and felt perfectly healthy.” Mrs Craig said she was frustrated with the health ­department. “With all the contact tracing and alerting, it’s just disappointing to see that they’re still not getting it right,” she said. 

But the couple was buoyed by the support shown by the South Grafton community. “We got a lot of messages of support from customers and a big increase in business because people didn’t want to see us go down,” she said. 

“It was also really incredible when the owner of Pets Domain in South rang us and said they could bring their staff over to help run the shop if we couldn’t.

“We’re supposed to be ­rivals, but it just goes to show how special this community is.” NSW Health has been contacted for comment.

 

With an unabated rise in the health impacts and environmental risks of global climate change UN member nations meet in Glasgow UK for 13 days starting 31 October 2021

https://www.lancetcountdown.org/data-platform/climate-change-impacts-exposures-and-vulnerability

The COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the United Kingdom in partnership with Italy, will take place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow.

Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook Scott Morrison has stated his intention to attend – at this point without a clear, documented and funded national climate change net zero CO₂-e emissions policy.

A little light reading while the nation waits…...

The Lancet, 23 October 2021:

Published annually, the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration, dedicated to monitoring the evolving health profile of climate change, and providing an independent assessment of the delivery of commitments made by governments worldwide under the Paris Agreement. All content on this page is either Open Access or has been made free to read with registration.

The 44 indicators of this latest report, published in October 2021, expose an unabated rise in the health impacts of climate change, and a delayed and inconsistent response of countries around the world. The imperative is clear for accelerated action putting the health of people and planet above all else.

Read the latest Countdown report

Extracts

While the world's attention has been diverted towards the ongoing acute health crisis, the health effects of human-induced climate change continue to increase. Climate change contributed to the unusually high temperatures seen during 2020 in the UK and Siberia; the record-breaking heatwave that affected populations across the Pacific Northwest areas of the USA and Canada in June, 2021, which caused more than 1000 deaths (a number expected to increase); accelerated glacier retreat that is putting the Huaraz (Peru) under imminent flooding risk; and Australia's devastating 2019–20 bushfire season…..

National and regional reports were published for Australia (in partnership with the Medical Journal of Australia), China, and SIDS. For the third year, the data underpinning each of the Lancet Countdown's indicators have been shared through an online data visualisation platform, where they can be explored at finer spatial and temporal scales…..

It is estimated that smoke from the 2019–20 Australian fires affected 80% of Australia's population and resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of people admitted to hospital. 

Barnaby Joyce & Co name the price Australia has to pay to secure their agreement to a 'net zero' national climate change policy

And the horror story that is the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government's policy responses to the risks associated with ongoing climate change continues....

The Saturday Paper, Post, 22 October 2021:

 

Nats name net-zero price

Roughly half the Nationals party room has backed a list of demands in exchange for its support of a net zero by 2050 plan. What we know: In a Thursday night meeting, a divided Nationals party narrowly backed a proposal for a regional economic package in return for their support, which will now be considered by Prime Minister Scott Morrison; Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce’s plan includes a socio-economic safety valve involving reviews of impacts on regional communities (The Australian);  Transition packages for regional mining, agriculture and manufacturing sectors will be requested; The proposal also calls for changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to enable farmers to engage in more land clearing (AFR);  Joyce is reportedly hoping to secure support for a $3bn extension of the Gladstone inland rail project, which environmentalists warn would unlock a “carbon bomb” of nine new coalmines and 150m tonnes of annual emissions (The Guardian);  It comes as leaked documents reveal Australia sought to remove references to coal lobbyists and recommendations to close coal plants from the latest IPCC climate report (BBC).

A brief summary of part of Day 4 of NSW ICAC Operation Keppel's 2021 public hearings

 

“The role of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Expenditure (Expenditure Review Committee or ERC) is to assist Cabinet and the Treasurer in:

• framing the fiscal strategy and the Budget for Cabinet's consideration

• driving expenditure controls within agencies and monitoring financial performance

• considering proposals with financial implications brought forward by Ministers.

ERC is the only committee of Cabinet that can recommend any new spending or revenue proposals to Cabinet.

All spending, revenue or tax expenditure proposals by Ministers must be considered by ERC prior to final Cabinet approval unless otherwise agreed by the Premier, Deputy Premier and Treasurer…..

The Treasurer is the Chair of the ERC. The Treasurer determines the order of proceedings, and summarises the decisions made for recording by the note takers. The Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet, is the Secretary to the Committee. The Department of Premier and Cabinet and Treasury will provide note takers for meetings." [https://arp.nsw.gov.au/c2014-04-cabinet-standing-committee-expenditure-review-procedures-and-operational-rules-2014/]  [my yellow highlighting]

From 02 Apr 2015 to 23 Jan 2017 Liberal MP for Willoughby Gladys Berejiklian as NSW Treasurer was chair of the Estimates Review Committee of Cabinet (ERC) and from 23 Jan 2017 to 05 Oct 2021 she was Premier of New South Wales.

Ongoing evidence at Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) 2021 Operation Keppel public hearings to date confirms that the Estimates Review Committee revealed on 4 December 2016 that it had approved $5.5 million expenditure in 2016/2017 to the Office of Sports with funding sourced from the Retart NSW Fund program, Regional Growth – Environment and Tourism Fund.

The Restart NSW Fund - itself financed by way of the sale of government infrastructure or privatisation of its assets - being the responsibility of the NSW Treasurer.

At that point NSW Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian had been chair of the ERC for approximately 20 months and based on previous evidence given by the then Liberal MLA for Wagga Wagga had been in a close personal friendship with him which began sometime between 2013-2015.

However, the bureaucratic path taken in assessment of the Australian Clay Target Association’s expanded proposal for an upgrade in sporting facilities as well as a new club & conference centre appears rather circuitous.

Apparently continuing a level of public service confusion which had marked the progression of this on-off funding request since 2012.

Indeed, by 2 January 2017 the then MLA for Wagga Wagga sent out a media release announcing the gun club funding grant before the bureaucrats had signed off on the still problematic business case.

When by midmorning of 23 January 2017 Ms. Berejiklian swopped horses, becoming NSW Premier on the retirement of Liberal MLA for Manly, Mike Baird, the Liberal Member for Epping Dominic Perrottet became NSW Treasurer and therefore the new chair of the Expenditure Review Committee (ERC).

The ACTA unresolved and unsatisfactory business case was still stumbling along on 2 April 2017 when it appears that no matter how one looked at the cost-benefit analysis of the proposal, any projected economic benefit being returned to that regional city, the Liberal-held electorate or the state as a whole, was likely to be less than the $5.5 million cost of upgrading & expanding that Wagga Wagga gun club.

By that April it had been about 4 years and 4 months since the then Liberal Member for Wagga Wagga had first written to then NSW Premier and Liberal Member for Ku-ring-gai, Barry O’Farrell, raising the subject of funding the gun club upgrade of it sporting facilities.

An ordinary person might be forgiven for thinking that by this time ACTA would have been losing support in Macquarie Street for the Olympic-level gun club and associated facilities it planned for Wagga Wagga.

However, evidence given at Operation Keppel public hearings suggest that staff members of Deputy-Premier and Liberal MLA for Monaro, John Barilario, were letting it be known that he supported the ACTA gun club proposal. Barilaro was also a member of the Executive Review Committee of Cabinet when first Berejiklian and then Perrottet chaired this committee as NSW Treasurer.

Mr. Barilaro’s staff allegedly telling at least one public servant assessing/ progressing the $5.5 million grant proposal that the gun club project was of special interest to Premier Berejiklian.

In June 2017 Regional NSW, Department of Premier and Cabinet appears to have sent the grant proposal to the Department’s Investment Appraisal Unit allegedly following a request by the Premier – there being a belief that the Premier’s Office & the Premier wanted the ACTA business case for a large clubhouse, conference facility and associated infrastructure revisited.

Across three successive NSW Coalition Governments it seem premiers and cabinet ministers have been prepared to spend an inordinate amount of public service time and money on progressing the desires of then Liberal MLA for Wagga Wagga.

To be continued......

As of 21 October in the Northern NSW Local Health District the total number of locally acquired COVID-19 infections has reached 111 men, women and children across 7 local government areas since the Delta Variant Outbreak began community transmission in this region in early September 2021

Descriptive approximation of SARS-CoV-2 virus
IMAGE: Red-Diamond / Shutterstock

NSW Health reported that as of 8pm on Thursday 21 October 2021 there has been a total of 67,024 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 confirmed since the NSW Delta Variant Outbreak was first reported on 16 June 2021 and, a combined total 72,710 cases since the SARS-CoV-2  pandemic began in New South Wales in February 2020. 

 That number includes 492 COVID-19 related deaths since 16 June, which represents 89.78% of all COVID-19 related deaths since the pandemic began.

 

There are currently 482 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital across the state, with 125 people in intensive care, 67 of whom require ventilation. 

 As of 21 October in the Northern NSW Local Health District the total number of locally acquired COVID-19 infections has reached 111 men, women and children across 7 local government areas since the Delta Variant Outbreak since community transmission in this local health district began in mid September 2021.

As at 22 October 2021 more than 100 people in Northern NSW have been cared for under an enhanced community-based virtual care service (based on the original NSW Hospital-in-the-Home service) which provides monitoring and clinical care for COVID-19-positive residents in Northern NSW who do not require admission to hospital.

Currently 2 people in Northern NSW are being cared for in hospital, one in Intensive Care.

As of 8pm on 21 October 2021 est. 31 people have contracted locally acquired SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant in the Clarence Valley Local Government Area from around 27 September onwards.

Further state-wide & Northern NSW COVID-19 updates can be accessed here:

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/2021-nsw-health.aspx

https://nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/blog/category/media-releases/

For vaccination rate information go to this NSW Postcode & LGA interactive map:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe/data-and-statistics#toc-map-of-nsw-vaccinations-by-home-postcode-and-lga

Labor Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin took the healthy rivers & water security concerns of residents in 7 Northern NSW local government areas to the Legislative Assembly - predictably former mining consultant & Nationals Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis spoke against her & over 10,000 petitioners

 

Petition Debate - Clarence Valley Mininghttps://t.co/tRTOm5Ro9G
On Thursday 14 October 2021, the Legislative Assembly of NSW debated the CCA No Mines petition calling on the LA to stop exploration or mining within the Clarence Valley and surrounding government area.

— ClarenceEnviroCentre💧 (@cecenviro) October 21, 2021

 

This video covers the full acceptance of petition debate concerning the "STOP CANGAI MINE" petition.

This debate was distinguished by the sheer number of misstatements of fact and untruths uttered by members of the NSW Perrottet Coalition Government.

 

COVID-19 State of Play: Northern NSW infection growth 15 to 19 October 2021

Between Friday 16 October and Tuesday 19 October 2021 there were 6 confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases across postcodes 2460, 2462 & 2463 in the Clarence Valley Local Government Area,   In the same time period there was 1 case reported in Lismore LGA and 1 in Ballina LGA.

Up to 19 October there have been a total of 102 COVID-19 cases recorded in the Northern NSW Local Health District since the Delta Variant Outbreak entered north-east NSW on or about 13 September 2021 and within days community transmission started to spread into all 7 local government areas.  

It would appear that to date around 28 per cent of all people in north-east NSW infected in this outbreak reside in the Clarence Valley.