Health News at Your Fingertips

NSW treasurer, Matt Kean, is providing more details on what the additional funding will go towards:

Today, we’re announcing significant financial assistance for those impacted by these recent floods and it’s a joint initiative with the Commonwealth Government.

This includes grants to councils that will help with things like urgent repairs to infrastructure and helping them employ additional people to help with the flood recovery.

In addition to, that we’ve committed funding for the clean-up, primary producer and small business grants and boots on the ground to assess… the recovery process.

We’re at the start of the recovery and our two governments will make the necessary financial commitments to get these communities back on their feet as soon as possible.

Murray Watt, the federal minister for emergency management, has announced an additional eight local government areas will receive support.

We’re also pleased to announce today that we’ve extended that support to a further eight local government areas in addition to the 29 that had been previously announced. So there’s now a total of 37.

The extra eight LGAs are Cumberland, mid-Coast, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Randwick and Warren, a total of 37 LGAs around New South Wales that will be eligible for those payments and they will also be eligible for the payments that have been announced by the Prime Minister and the Premier today.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says the additional supports will be available by the end of the week:

The assistance that we’re announcing today … will be available for registration by the end of the week through Service New South Wales for the business grant of up to $50,000.

The primary producer grant, through the rural assistance authority of up to $75,000.

With regards the council grants:

This financial support today of $1 million per council impacted is in addition to that financial support that we have provided in the past and we’ll continue to work with our local government areas right across the state to ensure they have the financial support they need to get their communities back on track as quickly as possible.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese is announcing additional funding to support flood victims in NSW to help get people’s lives “back on track.”

Clean-up immediate assistance and an initial estimated cost of $80m with an estimated commonwealth contribution of half that amount.

Primary producer recovery grants of up to $75,000 at an additional estimated cost of $55m with an estimated commonwealth contribution of half that.

Small businesses and nonprofit organisation recovery grants of up to $50,000 with half of the amount coming to a cost of $27m, shared between the commonwealth and New South Wales.

At-flood property assessment program at an estimated initial cost of some $36m.

We’ll also be providing $1m grants to each council in the 37 disaster-related declared LGAs to assist with their immediate social built economic and environmental needs.

Rafqa Touma

Push to replace gas with renewables amidst war in Ukraine at Sydney Energy Forum

Answering a question from the audience on whether a need to reduce dependence on Russian gas amid war in Ukraine increases a need for greater investment in gas from other countries at the Sydney Energy Forum today, Dr Fatih Birol, executive director of International Energy Agency says:

I put a big question mark on if those investments will be profitable.

“We have to bring gas, oil demand down,” he said, pointing to a plethora of possible alternatives.

We can replace gas with renewables, with nuclear power, with energy efficiency.

There are already available gas reservoirs … We can increase production from there.

There is a huge amount of methane emissions today escaping many countries around the world exporting gas … If we catch this methane, we can help to replace Russian gas.

For the latest in Australian politics join Poll the Position webinar at 1pm

Guardian’s Essential poll shows the prime minister Anthony Albanese’s approval is wavering as the honeymoon period fades.

You can find out more about what the latest poll shows by joining Guardian’s political editor Katherine Murphy and Peter Lewis at the the live version at 1PM today following the below link.

Rafqa Touma

Asian Development Bank President addresses Sydney Energy Forum

Mr Masatsugu Asakawa, Asian Development Bank President, urges that “we all need to pick up the scale and pace of energy transition” at the Sydney Energy Forum today.

My friends, we know transformation [to clean energy grid] is far from complete.

The world needs to decarbonise. Asia and the Pacific are responsible for more than 50% of global greenhouse emissions. And it impacts small nations and the most vulnerable population.

Asakawa points to a need for “collective action” on innovative solutions to “turn the tide,” urging leaders to “invest to get us on the path to a net zero future.”
“In the role of new technologies … access will be the key.”

The transition to clean and efficient energy is fully compatible with robust economic growth.

Minister defied advice on mask mandate

Mary-Anne Thomas, the Victorian health minister, reveals she went against health advice not mandating masks indoors for several settings.

Free rapid tests to end in July

Paul Karp

The federal health minister, Mark Butler, has revealed the federal program providing 10 free rapid antigen tests every three months for concession card holders will end in July.

Butler was speaking to 3AW Radio about the covid crisis in Australia, confirming that 300 Australians are “losing their life every single week”, with new data suggesting “Covid is the largest killer of Australians this year, overtaking coronary disease”.

Asked if the free RATs could be extended beyond July, Butler said:

No, I think that expiry is about the right time. [Early in 2022] we had a very ferocious debate at a time rapid tests were very hard to get … The price has come down dramatically, the cost was averaging $24-$25 per test in January, they’re now down to about $8 a test. Pensioners and concession card holders can still get their allocation of up to 10 before the end of the month, and that can carry them through for a period of time. There are so many RATs out in the community, many state governments provide free access … and they’re available if you live in an aged care facility. The problem we were facing is largely resolved.

Butler said Australia is “going through a difficult period” and if employers feel they are able to continue their operations with employees working from home, they should heed the chief health officer’s advice to consider allowing staff to do so.

Butler asked Australians “if you’re in indoor spaces, particularly crowded ones where you can’t socially distance, think about putting mask on,” signalling he may start wearing them to press conferences again.

Asked why the government isn’t doing more, Butler said:

We’re deep into the third year of the pandemic. There is a level of fatigue that governments and health authorities need to reflect when putting in measurers to deal with this third wave. We’ve tried to bring new energy about the importance of getting the third vaccine dose.

Interest rate hikes dent consumer confidence

Consumer confidence has fallen for the second week in a row, particularly for mortgage holders being hit by higher interest rates.

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence Rating saw a drop of 2.5% to 81.6, well under the last three decade’s monthly average of 112.4. Consumer confidence for those paying off a mortgage was down by a “sharp” 5.4%, the survey found.

Since talk of rate hikes began in late April, consumer confidence among mortgage holders has fallen 25%, while confidence among renters is down 4%.

CBA’s chief economist, Stephen Halmarick, says expected interest rate increases are likely “to see discretionary spending weaken further in coming months”.

– with AAP

Fog alert!

Foggy conditions in Adelaide where a road weather alert has been issued by the SA state emergency service.

Rafqa Touma

More updates from the Sydney Energy Forum

Ms Jennifer Granholm, US Secretary of Energy, says US President Joe Biden is “very enthused” about building out the clean energy transition at today’s Sydney Energy Forum:

We want a modern grid with an expanded capacity.

It is not just the flipping of a switch. It’s a period of time … We want to plan responsible, with a sense of urgency.

Granholm points to change being needed in the fossil fuel industry:

“There is a moment for all of us to call upon diversification of fossil companies … to become energy companies, and not just fossil energy companies,” she says, urging a move to clean energy sources, “whether it is hydrogen, or geothermal”.

Clean energy development is:

truly about energy security and energy independence as nations.

We cannot be under the thumb of those who don’t share our values … or under the thumb of those who [want to] control our supply chain.

Climate is No 1 national security, economic challenge of region: Wong

Conroy said development assistance doesn’t come “with strings attached” in reference to Pacific Island nations’ relationships with China:

To demonstrate the conviction… only yesterday we announced an additional $2m of assistance to Kiribati to assist with their crippling drought, that is on top of the $600,000 we announced a couple of weeks ago. It is very important that aid is unconditional like that.

Wong was asked if climate change has been overshadowed as the biggest threat facing the region and whether it will still be the centre of discussions at the forum this week.

She has affirmed it remains the biggest threat the regions faces:

I can only say this, that climate is central in the statements of many leaders passed, it is the number one national security, economic challenge that the region faces.

Obviously, people have spoken about climate and spoken about strategic competition and have spoken about Covid and the path of recovery where there are real challenges for the Pacific. We know that there is a risk that we had a discussion today about a lower development path, what they call economic scarring as a result of Covid. This is not a region that can afford that we need to work with them to try to about that.

Conroy, Wong defend Australia’s emissions target

The media conference is asking Wong and Pat Conroy, the minister for international development, about the adequacy of Australia’s climate stance.

Conroy says it’s credible for Australia to host a COP forum when its emissions target is one of the highest in the developed world.

Wong says the 43% target is “quite a substantial target” and says coal mines “will be dealt with in accordance with Australian law”:

I would make the point that the target that we are proposing would see Australia adding 2% renewable energy for our domestic market by 2030.

Wong says she hasn’t been asked at the forum whether Australia would not allow any more coal reserves of gas most to be utilised.

Penny Wong has emphasised the importance the forum remain united, in light of the withdrawal of Kiribati from the forum:

I had a very good discussion today with the secretary of FSM and we spoke about the lived experience of the Micronesian states to climate change. And, as you know, that was one of the key aspects of Prime Minister Albanese’s election campaign.

I’d like to make a comment about the unity of the forum, which has obviously been a big discussion over these last week. The region is stronger together. It’s a simple proposition. The region is stronger together.

And in the bilateral they have had, in the discussions I have had in my previous visits in the dialogue today, leaders talked about the challenges the region faces, climate change, Covid, and recovery from Covid, both of which have fallen harder on this region and on many other parts of the world and, of course, strategic competition. And all the nations of this region are seeking to navigate those challenges. …and we do it best when we do it together. That is the approach Australia has taken. That is the approach the Pacific Islands Forum has taken and that is why Pacific for immunity is so important. As you know,

There have been a lot of discussions about Pacific Islands Forum unity and the position the Australian government has consistently taken is we were seeking to support whatever the consensus could deliver, because the most important thing was to ensure that at this time, in a contestable, in a world confronting climate, Covid, and economic recovery from Covid, that the forum remain united.

‘We are here to listen’: Penny Wong in Suva

Penny Wong, the minister for foreign affairs, is giving a press conference from Suva where she is attending the Pacific Islands Forum.

I said today at the leaders forum dialogue that we are here to listen and learn. It is obviously my first forum and it was a very important to listen to the contributions from the various perspectives of presidents and prime ministers around the table and they gained a lot from that.

As they have said previously, the Australian government, the new Australian government is committed to bringing new energy and new resources to the Pacific and we recognise, in particular, the importance of climate change.

Rafqa Touma

China’s monopoly on solar under spotlight at forum

Reporter Rafqa Touma here with some updates from today’s Sydney Energy Forum, where leaders in government and industry from around the world are gathering to discuss clean energy supply, sustainability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of International Energy Agency, urges that leaders “need to think about” China’s monopoly on solar energy manufacturing “from an energy security perspective” at the Sydney Energy Forum today:

Of all the manufacturing capacity around the world … about 80% of the global supply chain manufacturing comes from one single country – China.

China did excellently within the last 15 years to bring the cost of solar down, providing multiple benefits around the world. But at the same time, today, 80% … is a big number.

Every country “relying on technology from one single country … is something we all need to think about from an energy security perspective”.

Victoria reduces Covid reinfection period to four weeks

Adeshola Ore

Victoria has joined NSW in reducing the state’s Covid reinfection period to four weeks, as the state government recommends people wear masks indoors and in crowded public places.

It follows similar moves by the WA and ACT governments yesterday in line with advice from the the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. The previous Covid reinfection period – when people are exempt from testing and isolating – was 12 weeks.

The Victorian government has also requested employers consider working-from-home arrangements, noting there has been a 53% increase in the number of Victorians in hospital with Covid over the past two weeks.