Sunday 19 June 2022

Under reporting of COVID-19 cases in New South Wales is now a sick joke being played on the population



As of 4pm on Friday, 17 June 2022, Australia-wide there were est. 208,173 active cases of COVID-19 recorded by the Australian Government Dept. Of Health.


Of these, 30,302 confirmed cases had been reported in the prior 24 hours.


A total of 2,817 cases were currently hospitalised on 17 June, with 93 in intensive care units and of these 30 people requiring ventilation.


In the 24 hours to 4pm on 17 June 51 people had died as a result of contracting COVID19. As government agencies do not update on weekends it is noted that covidlive.com.au reported a further 64 deaths on Saturday 18 June.


In New South Wales up 4pm on Friday 14 June 2022 there were 85,386 active cases of COVID-19 and in the 24 hours up to 4pm 17 June there were 8,119 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases.


A total of 1,344 cases were currently hospitalised on 17 June, with 45 in intensive care units and of these 18 requiring ventilation.


In the 24 hours to 4pm on Friday, 17 June 25 people had died as a result of contracting COVID-19.


Since the SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 pandemic first entered Australia and NSW in late January 2020, NSW Health has recorded a total 2,704,725 confirmed cases of COVID-19 – a conservative figure given the ongoing under reporting of infection numbers – and 3,387 deaths.


The seven local government areas in the NSW Northern Rivers region recorded the following newly confirmed COVID-19 case numbers as at 4pm on Friday, 17 June 2022:


Tweed Shire – details not available

Ballina Shire – details not available

Byron Shire – details not available

Lismore City – details not available

Richmond Valley – details not available

Clarence Valley – details not available

Kyogle Shire – details not available


TOTAL 242 cases – 77 confirmed as positive by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests & 165 confirmed positive by Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs).


In the four weeks to 17 June 2022 the seven local government areas in the NSW Northern Rivers region recorded the following number of confirmed COVID-19 cases:


Tweed Shire – 443 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Ballina Shire – 250 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Byron Shire – 104 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Lismore City – 167 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Richmond Valley – 126 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Clarence Valley – 123 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Kyogle Shire – 16 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count.


TOTAL 1,229 cases – this figure includes only cases confirmed as positive by PCR tests and deliberately excludes all positive RAT testing.


Note: Under reporting of COVID-19 infection in the Northern Rivers region over the four week period ending 17 June 2022 is possibly in the vicinity of more than 1,229 persons – bringing the estimated total number to anywhere between 2,458 to 3,687 infected people spread out over the 7 local government areas.


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Saturday 18 June 2022

Tweet of the Week

 

 

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Quote of the Week

 

“Imagine if there was a company which received millions of dollars in government grants each year, paid no tax as it held charitable status, owned recruitment agencies and also owned a law firm which fought against penalty rates for young workers and workplace leave for victims of domestic violence. There is such a company. It is called the NSW Business Chamber Limited. Its financial statements show the NSW Business Chamber recorded revenue of $190 million dollars last year of which $5.8 million came in government grants.” [Michael West writing in Michael West Media: Independent Journalists, 6 June 2022]


 

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Friday 17 June 2022

So Australia is in the middle of what is effectively an artificial gas-led energy crisis......


In the middle of what is effectively an artificial gas-led energy crisis, the Prime Minister and Energy Minister may be carefully avoiding stating a natural suspicion. However, as an ordinary citizen I am not.


It is no secret that some of the east coast energy producers and wholesale suppliers - who transmit electricity down the wires and gas down pipelines - view the Liberal and National political parties more favourably than they do the Labor Party.


It is also no secret that a bitter LNP is casting about for ways to do the new Labor Government harm.


When listing reasons for the “perfect storm” that is now engulfing half the country, it would be prudent to recall the four main reasons being commonly cited by the media and, add the distinct possibility that the Leader of the Opposition and his shadow cabinet actively encouraged the boards of east coast power generators to initially refuse to cooperate with the Australian Energy Market Operator. This refusal reportedly represented the loss of est. 20 per cent of the east coast’s needed power supply.


All in the hope of further destabilising energy supply. Thus heating up the political situation ahead of the first sitting of the 47th Australian Parliament. The LNP’s end game apparently being to create uncertainty in the minds of international investors and drive money out of the country, to the detriment of the national economy and the federal government’s ability to raise required funding.


This would not be the first time the Coalition parties have used this ploy - the events of 1972 to 1975 bear that out.



ABC News, 16 June 2022:


The Federal Energy Minister insists the unprecedented market intervention to avoid blackouts across the east coast will continue for as long as necessary, throwing his full support behind the nation's energy regulators.


Yesterday the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) took the extraordinary step of effectively seizing control of the energy market, suspending the spot price for wholesale electricity across the country.


It was the first time such a decision had been made, with the AEMO arguing it was impossible to ensure reliable power supplies without the intervention.


The AEMO had already been forced to put a cap on wholesale power prices, and had been ordering generators to continue producing power to ensure forecast shortages in supply in states such as New South Wales and Queensland were avoided.


Households and businesses have been urged to try to conserve power, switching off unnecessary appliances and lights in a bid to ease some of the pressure on the system.


Mr Bowen was asked whether it might be necessary to keep the market suspension in place for the duration of Australia's cold winter.


"I don't envisage that long, but it will be reviewed on a day-to-day basis," he said.


"I've been very clear with the chief executive of the operator. He has my full support for any action he deems necessary. The government will back the operator and the regulators 100 per cent.


"This intervention will not be lifted one day earlier than it needs to be, in his judgement."


What is the spot market for electricity?

After days of power uncertainty, the Australian Energy Market Operator yesterday declared it was suspending the spot market for electricity. So what does that mean for ordinary Australians?


Mr Bowen warned that NSW would be under "significant pressure" between 6pm and 8pm tonight, but that the market was working to avoid load shedding.


His NSW counterpart, Matt Kean, was confident there was enough reserve capacity despite a number of the state's generators being offline.


Mr Kean said that AGL's Bayside power station, which failed yesterday afternoon, would be online in time for the evening peak.


"We're cautiously optimistic that everything will be fine for the foreseeable future, but we're monitoring things closely because of the changed weather conditions and the unreliability of our existing kit," Mr Kean said.


Some generators have been accused of effectively gaming the system by refusing to produce electricity for the market, arguing the price cap means they are operating at a loss, and only switching back on when ordered to do so by authorities.


Those demand notices trigger the possibility of taxpayer-funded compensation for the energy companies.


Mr Bowen said there would be close scrutiny on energy producers.


"I'm not here to second-guess," he said. The energy regulator has our full support in monitoring all behaviour.


"I'm not here to make accusations. I'm here to say the regulator and operator has our full support in any action that they deem necessary — as they have done and as they'll continue to do."


Market rules could be rewritten after crisis

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the east coast electricity crisis could prompt a reworking of the National Energy Market (NEM) rules, including the incentives for generators to pump electricity into the system.


"There are weaknesses, clearly, that have been exposed, and all of the lessons of what is happening will be examined," he said.


"If there need to be any policy adjustments, then they'll be made."


The federal government has said the nation's energy woes are the result of a "perfect storm" — soaring international demand for Australian gas and coal prompted by countries weaning themselves off Russian energy supplies, the cold snap hitting a large swathe of the country, and unscheduled outages in Australia's ageing fleet of coal-fired power plants…..


Read the full article here.



ABC News, 16 June 2022:


….Tim Buckley, director at the IEEFA, said it was time these big companies were "called out".


"It's not about the energy not being there, it's about too much of it being suctioned out of our domestic east-coast market off to export," he said.


"I would be arguing we do need a carbon-export super-tax right now as a big stick to smash these multinational companies.


"They pay next to no royalties for our resources."…..

 

BACKGROUND
















In 2022 most of Australia’s energy still relies on traditional sources, non-renewable fossil fuels. According to the Dept. of Industry, science, Energy and Resources coal and gas account for about 79% of all electricity generation.


According to a new study by The Australia Institute, Australians have just 4.3 per cent ownership in the companies extracting and processing natural gas across the country.


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Three months after devastating extreme flooding on the NSW North Coast it appears that a co-ordinated effort to prepare state emergency services for the next extreme flood has not even begun


Lismore City and environs, 28 February 2022
IMAGE: Life Flight Australia













The NSW Legislative Council Select Committee Inquiry on the Response to Major Flooding across New South Wales in 2022 held a public hearing at Room 814-815, in Parliament House, Sydney on 14 June 2021.


This public hearing took evidence from expert witnesses in relation to events in Northern NSW during the period February-March 2022.


Hearing transcripts are not yet available.


However, here are mainstream and social media responses to evidence given by state emergency response agencies.



 



ABC News, 16 June 2022:


The chairman of a parliamentary flood inquiry has accused the NSW government and Service NSW of running a "cruel hoax" on financial support for flood victims.


Service NSW faced tough questions on why fewer than 20 per cent of applications for a 16-week rental support program had been paid out.


The inquiry heard 11,667 applications for the grant have been received.


About 1,900 have been approved but 7,467 have been deemed ineligible.


The inquiry heard just $18 million had been paid out from a $248 million grant program due to close in nine days.


Catherine Ellis, an executive director at Service NSW, told the inquiry applicants were typically given 28 days to provide documentation to prove they were eligible.


But inquiry chairman Walt Secord questioned what allowances Service NSW was making to help people who had lost paperwork and electronics to floodwaters.


"Isn't simply being in the community that had the worst flood in NSW enough?" he said to Ms Ellis.


"I put it to you that flood support and support from this government is a cruel hoax and that you have no intention of providing support."


Ms Ellis said that Service NSW assessed applications on the policy and guidelines that were set…..


Earlier in the hearing, the SES and other marine-based agencies were questioned about the rescue efforts during the height of the floods.


SES Commissioner Carlene York was asked why civilians were directed not to conduct flood rescues in their own boats.


"[There is] rubble, refuse, very swift-flowing water, contaminated water," she said.


"Going out is very dangerous so I have an obligation to try and keep the community safe."


The so-called "tinnie army" ignored directions from SES not to enter the water and has been credited with hundreds of rescues across the Northern Rivers region.


NSW Maritime was also asked why it did not participate in more flood rescues.


Executive director Mark Hutchings said his agency was not responsible or equipped for swift-water rescues.


"Operating in flood waters is the most dangerous, perilous thing that you can do," he said.


"As a government agency you would not recommend, nor would you deploy, untrained staff in inappropriate vessels into that environment.


"But Aussies will do what Aussies will do."


Mr Hutchings told the inquiry he could be charged and come before the Coroners Court if he sent his staff into dangerous conditions and something went wrong.


Mr Fitzsimmons spent most of the day in front of the inquiry as it examined the immediate emergency response and recovery and rebuilding plans.


The agency was formed in response to the Black Summer bushfires but has faced criticism throughout the inquiry for its performance.


Mr Fitzsimmons bristled at criticisms put to him by the inquiry that his staff treated the emergency as a typical nine-to-five job.


"We're not a 24-hour organisation, we don't have thousands of personnel, [but] we've been doing extraordinary hours and running after-hours arrangements," he said.


"I've had some staff sleeping in their vehicles overnight close to evacuation centres and other areas where they're providing support."


Today is the last day of the inquiry's scheduled hearings.


A report with recommendations is due to be handed down by August 9.



AAP News, 15 June 2022:


Labor MP Penny Sharpe said North Coast victims had been worn down by the bureaucracy.


"The level of frustration and distress as a result because they (residents) are being asked for paperwork they no longer have is extraordinary," she said.


"We've had people crying in front of us because they're being asked to provide the same documentation five times they don't have because their house or business has washed away.


"I just cannot overstate the level of trauma in the community ...They're in desperate circumstances in terms of housing."


Mr Secord described the slow drip of rental support provided to displaced residents as "a cruel hoax".


Ms Sharpe also levelled criticisms at the SES for not effectively communicating with flood-affected communities over which rescue agency would take the lead, describing the response as "confused"…..



ABC Radio, Australia Wide program,


A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry examining the devastating floods from earlier in the year, is hearing evidence from emergency services and non-government organisations on how the response to natural disasters can be improved. The inquiry has been told its madness to have a volunteer organisation as the lead response agency to a major disaster. Leighton Drury, from the Fire Brigade Employees' Union, told today's hearing the State Government must rethink the strategy that sees the SES take control of floods, storms and tsunami events.

https://abcmedia.akamaized.net/radio/local_perth/audio/202206/aip-2022-06-14.mp3 – starting at 1:06 mins & finishes at 9:15 mins.


Twitter, 15 June 2022





 

 

 

 

 


BACKGROUND


Response to Major Flooding across New South Wales in 2022 public hearing transcripts can be found at:

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/listofcommittees/Pages/committee-details.aspx?pk=277#tab-hearingsandtranscripts


Video recordings of public hearings are at:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb7SKvfgKNwYKVbOv4fBTX2UizaWVHK7y



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Thursday 16 June 2022

Ballina Shire waterways still showing signs of flood pollution - immune compromised people advised to avoid swimming


Echo, 13 June 2022:


Flood debris in Ballina, Richmond River, 1 March 2022. 
Photo David Lowe.


People with compromised immune systems were still being advised to avoid swimming in Ballina Shire waterways more than three months after catastrophic flooding in late February.


Advice from the council in early June said ‘those with lower immune function should avoid swimming within our rivers, bays and lakes’.


The advice came after the council’s most recent monitoring showed water quality at official levels of good or fair in all sampled waterways.


Fair water quality represented bacteria levels that indicated an increased risk of illness to swimmers, particularly those with lower immune function including the elderly and young children, council advice said.


The council said it could be several weeks before harmful bacteria and debris was flushed from Ballina waterways.


The worst water quality was in rivers, enclosed bays and lakes, the council said, but ocean beaches could still present risks visible signs of pollution were present.



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Wednesday 15 June 2022

Member for Lismore and Tweed City Council remain strongly opposed to "NSW Government's ill-advised proposal to close four Murwillumbah public schools and replace them with a mega campus"


It seems that less than ten months out from a state election the NSW Perrottet Government is still not listening to local communities in the Northern Rivers region.....


NSW Labor Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, media release, 9 June 2022:


Janelle Saffin MP has reaffirmed her 'rock solid' opposition to the NSW Government's ill-advised proposal to close four Murwillumbah public schools and replace them with a mega campus. Tweed Shire Council is also opposed.



STATE Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin remains ‘rock solid’ in her support to maintain Murwilumbah’s four public schools.


The NSW Government’s plans to close these schools and replace them with a mega school campus is nothing but a cost-cutting exercise, Ms Saffin says.


“They (the Government) have not demonstrated any educational benefit to students and to boot will sack 20 teachers and four support staff.”


Ms Saffin further reaffirmed NSW Labor’s commitment to keep Murwillumbah East Public School, Wollumbin High School, Murwillumbah Public School and Murwillumbah High School open for the community into the future.


Ms Saffin said Tweed Shire Council’s damning submission and formal objection to the Murwillumbah Education Campus development application, combined with the school communities’ concerns, should be enough for NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell to scrap the Government’s ill-advised plan and heavily invest in existing schools instead.


“My position has not changed; if anything, my opposition to this proposal — which is half-baked at best, silly at worst, does not contain a performing arts centre as touted from the original announcement all the way along, is vague on assessing flood impacts and is generally lacking in detail — has solidified,” Ms Saffin said.


“Some issues identified by Council include inadequate playing fields; indoor halls too small to be used as shared community spaces; a lack of shading for students; a 90-space shortfall in car parking spaces (which would put serious pressure on surrounding streets); and an incomplete bushfire management plan.


“It all adds up to a half-baked plan which sells the local community short, prompting Tweed Mayor Cr Chris Cherry to say the State Government should be a ‘model applicant, but is flouting all of our requirements and at this stage is being anything but’.”


Ms Saffin noted NSW Teachers Federation Deputy President Henry Rajendra’s call for the NSW Government to immediately halt its merger plan, and engage with local parents and teachers to permanently protect the staffing entitlement for existing schools.


In Education Quarterly Online, Mr Rajendra said: “The issues raised by Council are in addition to the staffing cuts that will result when the schools are amalgamated. Primary school provision will, at a minimum, lose a classroom teacher, up to two assistant principal positions, a principal position and a reduction in teacher-librarian staffing.


“The situation is far worse for high school staffing. It is predicted that at least 16 positions – 20 per cent of the teaching staffing entitlement – will be cut, including classroom, head teacher, teacher-librarian, careers adviser and principal positions,” Mr Rajendra said.


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