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Australia’s biggest climate poll shows support for action in every seat
By Nick O'Malley and Miki Perkins
Voters in every federal seat in Australia support increased action on climate change and the adoption of renewable technology over the government’s plan for a gas-led recovery, according to the largest poll ever conducted on climate change and politics in the country.
The survey of 15,000 Australians conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Australian Conservation Foundation found 67 per cent of voters believed the government should be doing more to address climate change, including a majority in all 151 national seats.
It found support for increased climate action was similar across states and territories, with the highest being the Northern Territory where 71 per cent supported more action and the lowest being NSW, where 65 per cent wanted more. In Victoria 69 per cent wanted more or much more action.
Read the full story here.
Small businesses will need help after lockdown: NSW Minister
By Sarah McPhee
NSW Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope says $2.3 billion in business support payments has gone “out the door” and wait times for calls to Service NSW have been reduced from four hours to six minutes.
“There are still applications to be processed, but we’re also receiving new applications,” he told 2GB radio this morning.
NSW Finance and Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope.Credit:Rhett Wyman
Mr Tudehope acknowledged that state government assistance cannot end when the NSW lockdown lifts. Regional NSW is in lockdown until September 10 and Greater Sydney until the end of September.
“We will owe an obligation, once the lockdown finishes, not to forget small businesses,” Mr Tudehope said.
“It’s easy to sort of say ‘well at last our liberties are restored’, but there will be some businesses who will continue to struggle.”
He said a number of CBD businesses faced challenges when last year’s lockdown ended as people had adopted different work habits.
“We’ve got to work on things, like dine and discover [vouchers] and alfresco dining, all of those sorts of things to give stimulus to small business,” he said.
As an example, Mr Tudehope said while gyms have been closed “lots of people are developing new ways of training, whether it’s bike riding, running in the park or whatever”.
“Lots of those people won’t go back and pay their subscriptions because they’ve developed new habits in relation to exercise,” he said.
“We’ve got to work with those gym owners to sort of think, how can we help you to get your customers back? There’s going to be lots of those small businesses that we will need to look after.”
NSW’s hospital system ‘stretched’, Deputy Premier says
By Broede Carmody
As we reported last week, around 80 per cent of NSW’s available intensive care beds are full and some paramedics working in Sydney’s west and south have been urged to send coronavirus patients as far as the north shore.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro made an appearance on Seven’s Sunrise earlier this morning. He was asked at what point NSW’s health system will become overwhelmed.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro.Credit:James Brickwood
Here’s his response:
That is always the million dollar question. There is no question that we are stressed.
[But last year] we invested heavily in ICU beds and in a couple of thousand ventilators. We ... trained up the workforce and brought in specialists or nurses and health staff that had either retired or retrained. That means that we have plenty of capacity still.
It is a network of hospital right across the state and I’m confident that we can manage. At no point health officials have said to the [state] government that they are worried the health system will be inundated.
Businesses will close if states don’t eventually open borders: Treasurer
By Broede Carmody
Josh Frydenberg is doing the media rounds this morning.
The Treasurer was just asked on Sunrise whether the economy will be pushed into recession if states don’t eventually open their borders.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has urged state and territory leaders to stick to national cabinet’s reopening plan. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
As regular readers of this blog will know, national cabinet has agreed to do away with large-scale lockdowns once Australia reaches a 70 to 80 per cent vaccination target. But some state and territory leaders have hinted that they will keep borders closed in some circumstances (for example, if they feel there are too many cases in another state).
Here’s what Mr Frydenberg had to say about the possibility of future border closures:
Well, it certainly will cost jobs. It certainly will see businesses close. It will see our debt burden increase and it will see the wellbeing of Australians suffer.
You could have the ridiculous situation where somebody in NSW could travel to Canada before they could go to Cairns or somebody in Victoria could travel to Singapore and Bali before they could go to Perth.
That would be ridiculous. That is why it is so important that the agreed national plan is adhered to by the states and the territories.
Victorian exposure sites near 940
By Cassandra Morgan
In case you missed it, Victorian health authorities identified several new COVID-19 exposure sites last night – bringing the state’s total to nearly 940.
All the recent additions are tier-2 or casual contact sites, meaning anyone who attended them during the specified timeframes must urgently get tested for COVID-19 and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Many Shepparton residents have been asked to self-isolate. Credit:Justin McManus
Among the new tier-2 sites are a Melbourne apartment complex and a Woolworths in the Victorian regional city of Shepparton.
The latest tier-2 exposure sites are:
- The Subway in Keilor Park, in Melbourne’s north west, on Monday, August 23 between 11.45am and 12.30pm;
- A residential complex at 565 Flinders Street, Melbourne, from Sunday, August 22 to Sunday, August 29 (some individuals will be tier 1 and the Health Department will contact them directly);
- The Subway at Woodgrove Shopping Centre, Melton – in Melbourne’s west – on Friday, August 20 between 11.45am and 12.45pm;
- The Caltex in Hillside, in Melbourne’s north west, on Sunday, August 22 between 11.15am and 12.25pm (some individuals will be tier 1 and the Health Department will contact them directly);
- The North Melbourne Woolworths at Arden Gardens on Sunday, August 22 between 4.30am and 1.30am (some individuals will be tier 1 and the Health Department will contact those people directly);
- The Ampol Foodary in Altona North, in Melbourne’s south west, on Sunday, August 22 between 9.30pm and 11.59pm as well as Monday, August 23 between 12am and 8am (some individuals will be tier 1, and the Health Department will be in touch); and
- Shepparton Woolworths on Monday, August 23 between 9am and 12pm and again on the same day between 12.56pm and 1.26pm.
The full list of Victorian exposure sites can be found here.
Four Sydney schools closed after positive COVID cases
By Sarah McPhee
Four Sydney schools will be closed today for cleaning and to allow time for contact tracing after each was advised by NSW Health of positive COVID-19 cases.
The schools are Plunkett Street Public School in Woolloomooloo, Yates Avenue Public School in Dundas Valley, and Colyton High School and Ropes Crossing Public School in the city’s west.
“Students and staff identified as close contacts in all schools have been notified and asked to self-isolate for the required period and follow the NSW health advice and protocols,” NSW Education said in a statement.
A number of schools have been cleaned over the weekend and will reopen today for any student unable to learn from home.
The schools reopening are Kemps Creek Public School, Moorefield Girls High School, Haberfield Public School, Halinda School in Whalan, NSW School of Languages in Petersham and Lidcombe Public School.
Victoria considers easing some restrictions as state braces for prolonged lockdown
By Melissa Cunningham and Sumeyya Ilanbey
Senior Victorian ministers will consider whether the state can safely ease some restrictions, including reopening playgrounds and allowing year 12 students back into the classroom, as the state braces for another prolonged lockdown.
State government sources, who spoke to this masthead on the condition of anonymity to provide insights into high-level discussions, said ministers would consider which restrictions could be wound back as epidemiologists warn reaching zero cases in Victoria is increasingly unlikely.
Scenes from Melbourne lockdown, along the Yarra on Saturday morning.Credit:Eddie Jim
At the top of some government officials’ agendas are permitting children to use playgrounds, easing some restrictions in regional Victoria and allowing year 12 students back into the classroom.
More on this story here.
Eastern Sydney to get Pfizer priority as COVID-19 cases spread in record numbers
By Alexandra Smith
Parts of Sydney’s eastern suburbs have been given priority access to Pfizer vaccines for 16- to 49-year-olds as authorities scramble to stop rising case numbers that could see COVID-19 hotspots expanded.
As NSW hit another new high of 1218 Delta cases on Sunday, Pfizer priority has been expanded to include the Randwick local government area as numbers grow in the southern Sydney LGA of Bayside and health authorities become increasingly concerned about the spread after an illegal party in the beachside suburb of Maroubra.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:Edwina Pickles
Other areas which have been prioritised for Pfizer are the 12 hotspots in south-western and western Sydney as well as Camden, which is not a designated area of concern but has had rising case numbers.
More on NSW’s latest case numbers and vaccination plans here.
US drone strike hits Islamic State car bomb in Kabul, officials say
American forces launched a drone strike in Kabul on Sunday, targeting a suicide bomber in a vehicle who was aiming to attack the airport, US officials say, as the United States nears the end of its military presence in the city.
The strike, first reported by Reuters, is the second carried out by US forces in Afghanistan since an Islamic State suicide bomber struck the airport on Thursday, killing 13 US troops and scores of Afghan civilians trying to flee the country.
A destroyed vehicle is seen inside a house after a US drone strike in Kabul on Sunday. Credit:AP
US President Joe Biden says the situation on the ground remains extremely dangerous. His military chiefs have told him another militant attack within the next 24-36 hours is highly likely.
Read the full story here.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
By Broede Carmody
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Monday, August 30. I’m Broede Carmody and I’m anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s everything you need to know before we get started.
- NSW has set another national record yesterday. The state reported 1218 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. However, Premier Gladys Berejiklian says daily case numbers shouldn’t be the focus. She says NSW will lead the way when it comes to living with the virus.
- Victoria reported 92 locally acquired coronavirus cases yesterday. The state’s politicians are easing some restrictions as the state braces for another lockdown extension. Officials are examining whether it’s safe to ease restrictions around playgrounds and year 12 students.
- Anti-lockdown protests are continuing along the NSW-Queensland border. Today, several truck drivers have decided to block traffic along a key highway. Discussions about temporarily moving the Qld border south, to benefit essential workers who live in NSW, are ongoing.
- There were 13 new cases of COVID-19 in the ACT yesterday. The nation’s capital remains in lockdown and the total number of infections now stands at 250.
- And in overseas news, US President Joe Biden has witnessed the return of American troops killed in last week’s deadly bomb blast outside Afghanistan’s Kabul airport. The situation remains incredibly dangerous during the final days of America’s evacuation.
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2021-08-29 22:08:58Z
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