One new local COVID-19 case recorded in the NT, Katherine to move from lockdown to lockout from midday - ABC News

There has been one new local case of COVID-19 recorded in the Northern Territory in the past 24 hours.

The case, which takes the total number of cases in the Territory outbreak to 53, is a 50-year-old man who is a household contact of existing cases.

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the man had been at the Howard Springs quarantine facility throughout his infectious period, meaning he posed "no risk" to the community.

She said that as a result of promising results in recent days, the Greater Katherine area would move from a lockdown into a lockout from 12pm today.

Under the lockout, fully vaccinated people will be required to wear a face mask but can otherwise continue life as normal.

However, unvaccinated people will be subject to full lockdown restrictions, including only being able to leave their homes for five reasons: to receive medical treatment, access essential goods or services, perform essential work, exercise or provide care and support.

During the lockout period, people inside the designated area are not permitted to leave and people outside are not able to enter, except for essential workers.

Vaccinated residents will need proof of their vaccine status when out in the community as they will be subject to checks.

The Rockhole community will also move into a lockout at the same time as Katherine, Ms Fyles said.

However, residents of Binjari will remain in a lockdown for the time being, as authorities wait to conduct a third round of tests tomorrow, the results for which won't come back until early next week.

No new public exposure sites were announced today and Ms Fyles said none were expected to be announced given the new local case was in quarantine while infectious. 

She also said wastewater from the Bicentennial Road catchment in Katherine, which has previously tested positive for COVID fragments, had now weakened to a mere presumptive positive result.

Ms Fyles said overall it was good news for the Territory.

"We're probably in the best place that we've been in for some time, but we're certainly not at a point where we can become complacent," she said.

There are now 536 close contacts linked to the Katherine COVID cluster.

Of those, 530 have been contacted, and 510 have tested negative for the virus.

More to come.

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Media statements - Pinjarra Industrial Estate sets stage for local business growth - Media Statements

• New land release at 90ha Pinjarra Industrial Estate brought forward in response to demand
• 10 fully-serviced lots have been released to market by pre-sale
• Access to estate set to be improved with $2.5 million towards Munday Avenue extension
• Positive pre-sales could facilitate Stage 3 construction next year

The burgeoning Pinjarra Industrial Estate is set to expand after all available lots from previous stages sold out.

Strong demand at Pinjarra Industrial Estate has brought forward the latest pre-sale release of new lots at the popular Peel precinct, opening up opportunities for local businesses to establish or expand their operations.

Ten fully-serviced lots have been released to market by pre-sale with sites ranging in size from 2,230 square metres up to 8,672 square metres priced from $363,000.

To facilitate the continued growth of the estate, the McGowan Government made an election commitment to allocate $2.5 million towards the extension of Munday Avenue to Greenlands Road.

The new link, to be built by the Shire of Murray, will improve access to Pinjarra Industrial Estate for business owners, employees and customers in the growing precinct.

Pinjarra Industrial Estate is situated just minutes from the centre of Pinjarra and 15 minutes from Mandurah with easy access to major transport links including the Forrest and South Western Highways.

Land at the estate is suited to a wide range of industrial uses with current occupants including Western Power, Huckleberry's Tank & Water Service and businesses supporting the agricultural, mining, manufacturing and construction industries.

Local business Murray Engineering established its operations within Pinjarra Industrial Estate 10 years ago, purchasing a 5.5 hectare site. Today, the business employs between 250 to 300 people and has a turnover of more than $110 million a year.

For more information on Pinjarra Industrial Estate, visit https://developmentwa.com.au/

Comments attributed to Lands Minister Tony Buti:

"The new release of land at the 90ha Pinjarra Industrial Estate had been brought forward in response to buyer appetite, with all available land from previous stages now sold.

"Industrial land in Pinjarra has been in demand, with growth in local businesses and those supporting surrounding industries combining with the momentum delivered by the $116 million Regional Land Booster Package released last year.

"The challenges presented by COVID-19 over the past 12 to 18 months very much highlighted the importance of industrial land and activities to WA's economic recovery and ongoing growth."

Comments attributed to Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke:

"The latest land release at Pinjarra Industrial Estate is evidence that business confidence in Murray-Wellington continues to rise.

"More take-up at the Pinjarra Industrial Estate means for jobs for local workers - and this has been the McGowan Government's priority from the start.

"I urge any businesses thinking about Pinjarra to make the move now."

Minister's office - 6552 6400

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Behind the scenes in the Solomons, local leader has leveraged China issue to his advantage - The Sydney Morning Herald

By Ed Cavanough

November 26, 2021 — 8.00pm

When violence descended on Honiara this week, many observers’ worst fears were realised.

Tensions between Solomon Islands’ two centres of power, Malaita, its most populous province, and its national government, led by fourth-time Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, had been worsening for years.

Buildings burn in Honiara’s Chinatown, in the Solomon Islands on Thursday. Credit:Screenshot ZFM 99.5

The divisions, long-standing and rooted in economic disparities, were compounded by a dispute over China policy.

When the Sogavare government recognised Beijing in 2019, it angered many in Malaita and elsewhere.

Some were fearful that Solomon Islands’ weak institutions would be unable to handle China. Others were loyal to Taiwan, which had ingratiated itself with Solomon Islanders through a highly visible development program.

But while public discontent at the China decision was genuine, it soon became a proxy issue, onto which the long-standing enmities between Malaita and the national government were grafted, and through which some politicians within the Solomon Islands sensed opportunity.

Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare.Credit:UN/AP

Malaita is among the most impoverished islands in the South Pacific. Most of its 200,000 residents have no formal income. Nine-seven per cent have no mains electricity. Roads are usually crumbling, muddy dirt tracks. Housing is low quality, as is healthcare. The province is in desperate need of development assistance.

But much of the aid and foreign investment in the Solomon Islands has concentrated on Honiara, exacerbating a sense of abandonment in Malaita.

In the China decision, many saw another example of the national government ignoring the island’s views.

This sense of injustice, while genuine, also provided fertile ground for political agitators.

The Malaitan government, led by Premier Daniel Suidani, has been particularly deft at playing the internal and global politics of the China “switch” to its advantage.

Soon after the switch to China occurred, Suidani outlawed Chinese businesses in Malaita – a demand of the Malaita for Democracy group, whose ultimate aspiration is for Malaita to become an independent state.

Within days of China’s recognition, Suidani had emerged as the leader of the anti-China movement in the country.

Seeing the value in this anti-China posture, Suidani began engaging in creative, and illegal, international diplomacy aimed at bolstering his political position at home.

In March 2020, six months after Honiara recognised Beijing, one of Suidani’s advisers travelled to Australia for a meeting at Taiwan’s economic and cultural office – Taipei’s de facto consulate – in Brisbane.

There, an informal arrangement between the Malaitans and the Taiwanese was struck, which resulted in large quantities of Taiwanese aid arriving in Malaita, in contravention of national law.

Australian Federal Police Special Operations members are escorted across the tarmac to a Royal Australian Air Force jet for their flight to the Solomon Islands on Thursday.Credit:Defence/AP

The consignments were draped in Taiwanese and Malaitan flags and paraded in front of journalists. The ceremonies were intentionally provocative, intended to anger Sogavare, provoke the Chinese embassy to the Solomon Islands, and extract support for Suidani from the democratic world.

The plan worked. Sogavare admonished Suidani, prompting the Malaitans to rally around their Premier.

The Chinese embassy lambasted the Premier’s actions, also emboldening Suidani’s stance and legitimising his claims that China was interfering in internal Solomon Islands affairs.

And the United States announced a $US25 million ($35 million) aid package explicitly for Malaita, which, as former Australian diplomat Mihai Sora notes, is 10 times what the province usually receives in foreign aid annually.

To some, Taiwan’s assistance to Malaita appeared prompted by Taipei.

But the inverse is true: understanding Taiwan’s desperation to maintain relevance in the region, Malaita proactively courted Taiwanese assistance for its gain, knowing Taipei wouldn’t refuse, and that any political fallout from the manoeuvre would ultimately benefit Malaita.

There is a trope that Pacific nations are merely pawns in a global geopolitical contest.

But as Suidani has shown, Pacific actors are capable of leveraging geopolitical realities for their own gain, routinely shaping and influencing the decision-making of foreign powers.

That a provincial leader from an impoverished, tiny Pacific island managed to get under China’s skin, manipulate Taiwanese foreign policy, and extract $25 million from Washington should not go unnoticed.

The actions of the Malaitan Premier are not singularly responsible for the unrest in Honiara, but they have exacerbated public anger towards the Sogavare government, and highlight the complex local realities that drive internal unrest in Solomons.

Given Sogavare’s lack of popularity, the Australia’s ADF deployment is not without its risks.

Hardliner Malaitans view the deployment as “protection for Sogavare and his government”. The lack of support by key Malaitan figures for the ADF deployment is conspicuous.

If the ADF deployment helps Sogavare remain power for years to come, the fundamental dynamics driving this week’s unrest will remain unresolved.

Ed Cavanough is a researcher, journalist and PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide, studying Solomon Islands’ China switch.

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We're small, local and big on quality, says director Jordan - Canberra CityNews

Jordan Best… “We are your theatre, so come and get to know us.”

Artistic director JORDAN BEST says that The Q’s new season will mean that next year, more often than not, there will be something fantastic happening around the venues. This is a sponsored post. 

“WE are small, we are local and we are quality,” says the artistic director of The Q, Jordan Best, who says she’s excited to present The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre’s 2022 season.

Jordan and her team promise to deliver a diversity of bold, exciting live performances that feature comedy, music, theatre, and children’s shows, across two state-of-the-art venues.

“As The Q enters our ‘teenage’ years, we see our role to bring quality performances with a focus on showcasing local creators and performers. The 2022 season will be more than 50 per cent local,” she says.

There will be three in-house productions by Echo Theatre as well as some of the best touring shows from around Australia including “The Year of Magical Thinking”, “Mother & Son” and “Sunshine Super Girl”, coming to Queanbeyan just before it travels to Melbourne.

Jordan says that 2022 heralds a new era for the centre. The completion of the refurbishment of the next-door Bicentennial Hall into a 570-person performance space has given The Q’s 2022 season even more room and opportunities to present larger-scale, musical events, says Jordan.

“The B” will host several tribute bands throughout the year such as Fleetwood Mac, Abba and a Johnny Cash show.

“There’s nothing quite like 500 people all rocking out to their favourite tribute band and having a fantastic time,” she says.

For the little ones, The Q will present science experiments, singing robots and dancing bears! Comedy in the form of open-mic nights as well as full-length comedy shows will also feature in the season.

Jordan says that across the two venues, more often than not there will be something fantastic happening at The Q or The B in 2022.

Subscriptions are now available, and with new, tiered subscription packages, people can save up to 25 per cent off season tickets and under 30s can access a $30 ticket price with a subscription to four or more shows. Jordan says that young people can get the chance to see quality performances at an affordable price.

“We are your theatre, so come and get to know us. Get a subscription for this cracker of a season!” says Jordan.

Visit theq.net.au

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Media statements - Local communities to benefit from regional traineeships - Media Statements

• Grants of up to $37,000 provided to 48 communities to support skills development and build community capacity
• Regional Traineeship Program supporting economic growth and jobs across Western Australia

Regional and remote communities from the Kimberley to the south coast are set to benefit from the latest round of the McGowan Government's Regional Traineeship Program grants.

Grants of up to $37,000 per trainee have been provided to 48 Community Resource Centres and eligible local government authorities to support vocational training and subsidise the cost of employing a trainee in regional areas.

The funding paves the way for recipients to provide a range of traineeships including events management, library and information services, information technology, accounting and bookkeeping, property services, business administration and applied digital services.

The one-off payment is to assist the development of trainee skills and knowledge based on local business and community needs.

The new positions will add to the 109 trainee placements created throughout the regions over the past two years.

Comments attributed to Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:

"This program is providing tailored support to address the needs of individual communities, while supporting local people to develop their skills and careers in the regions.

"We are seeing a huge range of vocations being supported by this program, boosting the capacity and services of local communities to the benefit of residents and visitors.

"The Regional Traineeship Program is just one of our Government's commitments to supporting economic growth and jobs in our regions."

Minister's office - 6552 6200

Successful Recipients

 

Organisation	Intended Traineeship	Region
Augusta CRC	Events Management	South-West
Beverley CRC	Tourism	Wheatbelt
Boyup Brook CRC	Library and Information Services	South-West
Bridgetown CRC	Tourism	South-West
Bruce Rock CRC	Business Administration	Wheatbelt
Brunswick Junction CRC	Property Services	South-West
Capel (Shire of)	Information Technology	South-West
Carnarvon (Shire of)	Information Technology	Gascoyne
Corrigin CRC	Horticulture	Wheatbelt
Cunderdin CRC	Community Services	Wheatbelt
Dandaragan CRC	Accounting and Bookkeeping	Wheatbelt
Denmark CRC	Information Technology	Great Southern
Dongara CRC	Community Services	Mid-West
Dumbleyung CRC	Tourism	Wheatbelt
Exmouth (Shire of)	Tourism	Gascoyne
Frankland River CRC	Tourism	Great Southern
Gingin CRC	Business	Wheatbelt
Goomalling CRC	Tourism	Wheatbelt
Greenbushes CRC	Information Technology	South-West
Harvey CRC	Community Services	South-West
Hopetoun CRC	Youth Work	Goldfields-Esperance
Hyden CRC	Tourism	Wheatbelt
Katanning Hub CRC	Business	Great Southern
Kellerberrin CRC	Business	Wheatbelt
Kondinin CRC	Events	Wheatbelt
Manjimup CRC	Accounts and Bookkeeping	South-West
Moora CRC	Business	Wheatbelt
Mowanjum CRC	Workplace Skills	Kimberley
Mullewa CRC	Business	Mid-West
Nannup CRC	Information Technology	South-West
Narembeen CRC	Business	Wheatbelt
Narrogin (Shire of)	Local Government	Wheatbelt
Newdegate CRC	Business	Wheatbelt
Northam (Shire of)	Horticulture	Wheatbelt
Northcliffe CRC	Business	South-West
Pemberton CRC	Business Administration	South-West
Perenjori CRC	Business	Mid-West
Ravensthorpe CRC	Education Support	Goldfields-Esperance
Tambellup CRC	Information Technology	Great Southern
Tom Price CRC	Community Services	Pilbara
Toodyay CRC	Individual Support	Wheatbelt
Walpole CRC	Community Services	South-West
West Arthur CRC	Events	Wheatbelt
Wongan Hills CRC	Applied Digital Technologies	Wheatbelt
Wyalkatchem CRC	Local Government	Wheatbelt
Yalgoo (Shire of)	Local Government	Mid-West
Yongergnow-Ongerup CRC	Accounting and Bookkeeping	Great Southern
York CRC	Information Technology	Wheatbelt

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Liberal Party members running as independents, community candidates in local elections - The Sydney Morning Herald

Local council candidates Mark Croxford, Elle Prevost, Serena Copley and Fred Campbell. Credit:Serena Copley Facebook page/ellefornorthsydney.com/yourcommunitycandidates.com.au

Liberal Party members are running in the upcoming council elections as independents and under the banner of community tickets, with no mention on their websites or promotional material that they hold Liberal Party membership.

The NSW Liberal Party does not endorse candidates in some council areas, including North Sydney, Kiama and Shoalhaven.

Local Liberals who wish to run for office in those councils are not allowed, under Liberal Party rules and the NSW Electoral Act, to use Liberal Party branding, even if they openly “identify” as Liberals.

Elle Prevost, a first-time candidate who is running as an independent for North Sydney council, said she was a “proud Liberal party member”.

North Sydney candidate Elle Prevost.Credit:ellefornorthsydney.com

“I am a Liberal, but we are not endorsed in the North Sydney area,” she said. “Maybe it’s me being naive, but because I am not endorsed by the Liberal Party, my understanding is I’m an independent.”

Ms Prevost’s ticket is called “Team Elle”. Its website announces her as an “Independent for North Sydney council” and her Liberal Party membership is not mentioned. The membership is disclosed in Ms Prevost’s candidate nomination form, filed under a subheading in a PDF document on the NSW Electoral Commission website.

“This is a really Liberal area, so I should be screaming it from the rooftops because it would win me more votes,” she said.

Retired naval officer Mark Croxford is a member of the executive of the NSW Liberal Party, and a Liberal Party member. But his connection to the Liberal Party is not mentioned on the promotional materials for his run at the Kiama council in the upcoming elections on December 4.

Mark Croxford is standing for election in the Kiama LGA elections.Credit:Janie Barrett

Mr Croxford is at the top of the Your Community Candidates ticket, which pledges to “form a council free from party political agendas”. The group’s website urges voters not to “risk a council influenced by party politics” and says that “party politics has no place in local government”.

Mr Croxford’s “bio” on the Your Community Candidates website lists his background as a lobbyist and a senior ministerial adviser in the Howard government, but not his position as a country representative on the NSW Liberal Party executive, or his party membership.

The membership is declared on his nomination form on the Electoral Commission website.

“I hide in the open,” Mr Croxford said. “I am in the Liberal Party for the purpose of federal and state politics. I personally don’t believe there is any room for party politics in local politics.”

He said he always discloses his Liberal Party roots when he is speaking to constituents.

“I am happy to say I am a Liberal member but as a councillor I want to be a representative of my community,” he said.

The Declaration of Independents Local Government, created by the Voices of North Sydney group, has been signed by 56 candidates in the Lane Cove, North Sydney, Willoughby, Hunters Hill and Georges River councils.

Rod Simpson, the co-convener of the Voices of North Sydney group, says the intention of the declaration is to “get some transparency into local government”.

“It’s asking people what their political status is and whether they have been [a member of a political party] in the past and whether they have made political donations or been a staffer,” says Mr Simpson, who is a former environment commissioner with the Greater Sydney Commission.

“It’s really hard for people to untangle this and we are just trying to bring it up to the surface and make it easy for people to see what on earth is going on.”

The Declaration’s stated intention is to “differentiate ‘community-minded independents’ from ‘independents’ who are affiliated with political parties”. A “community minded independent” is defined as a candidate who is “not currently a member of a political party, and will vote as an individual”.

At the Shoalhaven Council, Serena Copley is billed as an independent on the ballot form, but the NSW Electoral Commission records show she is also a Liberal Party member.

Serena Copley is a candidate for Shoalhaven City Council.Credit:Facebook/Serena Copley for Shoalhaven City Council

The same goes for the other candidates on her ticket, Fred Campbell, Leonard White and Francoise Sikora.

Ms Copley’s team is called “A Fresh Approach” and does not mention any connection with the Liberal Party in its promotional materials.

Council candidates Fred Campbell OAM and Leonard White.Credit:Facebook/Serena Copley for Shoalhaven City Council

In response to questions from The Sydney Morning Herald, Ms Copley said she had been a member of the Shoalhaven community for more than 30 years.

“They know me and what I stand for,” she said. “I am running as an independent so I can represent my community and only my community, not any party or their agenda.”

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Northern Territory records zero new local cases of COVID-19 - ABC News

The Northern Territory has recorded zero new local cases of COVID-19 overnight, Health Minister Natasha Fyles says.

The Territory's cluster stands at 52 cases.

Storms between Katherine and Darwin last night have delayed the processing of about 300 tests.

Ms Fyles said the test results were now in Darwin being processed in the laboratory, with the results expected back this afternoon.

"We're processing them as quickly as we can," she said.

There is no change to the lockdown but Ms Fyles said authorities would meet over weekend.

"We will be meeting around the clock and as soon as we can safely make that decision as the Chief Minister mentioned yesterday, we will do so," she said.

Read more about the spread of COVID-19 in Australia:

"Bear with us. We certainly know the trying circumstances … that we're in.

"These rules are in place to protect you and your community. And it may be frustrating being told that you've been tested and you need to stay in isolation."

Ms Fyles said the Bicentennial Road catchment in Katherine East was continuing to return COVID-positive wastewater results, but the results were becoming weaker.

"Over the next 24 hours, wastewater will be critical around that so that we can assume that it is people that have already tested positive and therefore are being cared for — not cases undetected in the community," she said.

There are 490 close contacts linked to the cluster, of which 470 are in isolation and 455 have returned negative COVID test results.

The face mask mandate for the Big Rivers region has been scrapped immediately.

Further testing will be conducted in Binjari over the weekend.

Signs of hope on horizon

Acting Chief Health Officer Charles Pain said authorities expected more COVID-19 cases from Binjari and the close contacts in the Howard Springs quarantine facility.

"It's looking very good again today," he said.

"No cases, [though] we do need to wait for the results of these tests that were done yesterday, and unfortunately weather did disrupt that."

Dr Pain said it was becoming "increasingly likely" authorities had tracked down the main cases in Katherine, particularly in Katherine East, but it was too early to lift the lockdown just yet.

That was mainly due to the COVID-positive wastewater results, and the 300 COVID tests still awaiting processing.

Dr Pain said there was one COVID patient left at Royal Darwin Hospital who was not requiring oxygen, which was "indicative of the excellent care we've been able to provide".

Read more about the vaccine rollout:

Fact check first: Fyles

Ms Fyles addressed concerns about the spread of misinformation about the Australian Defence Force's role in the outbreak response, which has largely come from anti-vaccination campaigners.

Human rights group Amnesty International was also forced into a partial correction after issuing a media release criticising the army's involvement.

"I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the Australian Defence Force who have left their day jobs who've come across to help Northern Territory officials help our communities help the Aboriginal Medical organisations ensure that these people are cared for," Ms Fyles said.

"I think that people, whether they're individuals or organisations before they share something they need to make sure that they fact check their information."

Ms Fyles also urged eligible Territorians who received their second vaccination more than six months ago to go and get their booster shots.

“It provides you with that additional coverage,” she said, adding more than 4,000 Territorians had received their boosters already.

“For those people who received their vaccinations early on, a lot of our frontline health professional and emergency service workers, now is the time for them to get that booster shot.”

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What COVID-19 travel insurance doesn't cover you for(Emilia Terzon)

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