Author: roymorgansocial

Crossroads cluster spreads

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 14-Jul-20

The New South Wales government has advised that 21 cases of COVID-19 are now linked to the Crossroads Hotel in the Sydney suburb of Casula. This comprises 10 people who were at the hotel and 11 of their close contacts. Health authorities have revealed that some hotel patrons who tested positive had visited other venues in Sydney, including The Star casino. The source of the Crossroads Hotel infection is not yet know, and NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant says the government will aim to determine whether it is linked to travellers from Melbourne. The hotel is widely used by truck drivers delivering freight from Victoria to NSW.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. MINISTRY OF HEALTH, CROSSROADS HOTEL

HomeBuilder package most effective stimulus in a decade

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Original article by Simon Benson, Mackenzie Scott
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jul-20

Nearly 40,000 people are believed to have registered for the federal government’s HomeBuilder grants since the scheme was launched on 4 June. Data from the Housing Industry Association shows that sales of new homes increased by 77 per cent in June; however, chief economist Tim Reardon says the data for July and August will indicate whether the surge in June was a one-off. Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar says HomeBuilder is working as intended, by stimulating construction and renovation activity and generating work for tradespeople.

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Aussie scientists fast-track human trials on Covid vaccine

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Original article by Jamie Walker
The Australian – Page: 5 : 13-Jul-20

The University of Queensland will commence a phase one clinical trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine on 13 July. Professor Paul Young, one of the lead researchers, says preclinical testing of the S-Spike vaccine showed that it is effective in neutralising the virus and is safe to administer to humans. More than 4,000 people volunteered to take part in the clinical trial, although the university had sought just 120. Project leader Trent Munro says a working vaccine could be available by September, although he notes that it may take longer to receive final approval and commence mass production.

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UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

Fair Work flags reprieve on underpayment

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 13-Jul-20

Restaurants, cafes and horticulture are among the sectors that the Fair Work Ombudsman tends to focus upon regarding wage underpayments. However, the FWO notes that businesses in these sectors are likely to be under severe financial stress because of COVID-19. As a result, it is prepared to take no legal action against businesses in these circumstances as well as considering the reduction of ‘contrition payments’, provided that their non-compliance was not "egregious or deliberate". The FWO will make large companies its 2020-21 focus so far as underpayments are concerned.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Mining heavyweights pass virus test

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 13-Jul-20

Mineral Resources began swab-screening its ‘fly in, fly out’ workforce for COVID-19 in April. It subsequently began offering its services to other mining companies, and has tested employees from firms such as BHP, Northern Star Resources and Ramelius Resources. It operates drive-through testing hubs in Perth, Mandurah, Kalgoorlie and Port Hedland, along with screening centres in Geraldton, Esperance and Busselton. Mineral Resources COO Mike Grey says the company is proud of the role it has played in keeping the Western Australian resources sector operating during the pandemic and protecting the health and jobs of the sector’s employees.

CORPORATES
MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, RAMELIUS RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX RMS, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Labor demands coronavirus supports remain as figures show 13 jobseekers per vacancy

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 13-Jul-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed on 10 July that Labor was scaremongering over the future of the $70 billion JobKeeper program. He said he had made it clear that there would be a further stage of income support, and that it was "disgraceful" and "blatantly untrue" for Labor to claim the government was going to end the program in September. Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese responded to Morrison’s comments on 12 July by stating that businesses still had no certainty about whether the program will continue, while Labor says figures that reveal there are 13 jobseekers per job vacancy show that the government must keep COVID-19 income support programs in place beyond September.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Labor hardhead urges Premier to approve coalmine

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Original article by Michael McKenna
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 13-Jul-20

Labor senator Anthony Chisholm has urged the Queensland government to approve the $900 million expansion of the New Acland coal mine, despite a legal challenge before the High Court. Labor’s former state secretary was considered the architect of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s election win in 2015. Chisholm notes that the government has been "cautious" in its handling of the New Acland approval, opting to wait until all legal issues have been resolved . However, he contends that circumstances have changed, and that jobs will be lost if approval for the extension is not granted.

CORPORATES
NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Covid strategy clarion call

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Original article by Greg Brown, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Jul-20

Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott says the nation cannot afford to maintain a ‘stop-start’ approach to re-opening the economy. She stresses that Australia needs to learn to live with the coronavirus, as it may be two years before a vaccine is available. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox has expressed similar sentiments, arguing that the nation’s response to the pandemic must be "proportionate and logical", rather than "hysterical and irrational". Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner has called for a nationally consistent strategy in dealing with the pandemic.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT

TV networks prepare for second half of COVID-19 marathon

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Original article by Natasha Gillezeau
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 13-Jul-20

The Nine Network has a total audience share of 27.8 per cent halfway through the ratings year, ahead of the Seven Network’s 26.5 per cent and the Ten Network’s 18.7 per cent. Free-to-air networks have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted production schedules and affected advertising revenue. However, Daniel Cutrone of media buyer Avenue C says the challenging conditions in 2020 present opportunities for advertisers who would not usually consider TV as an option.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, AVENUE C

NSW reaches virus crossroads

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Original article by Natasha Boddy, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Jul-20

Victoria recorded 455 new coronavirus cases on the weekend of 11-12 July, while the state’s death toll has risen to 24. The number of cases linked to public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington has risen to 237, while 142 cases have now been linked to the Al-Taqwa College. Meanwhile, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned that south-west Sydney could become a coronavirus hotspot after a cluster was identified at the Crossroads Hotel in the suburb of Casula. The nation’s death toll has risen to 108, while the global death toll is now 570,564. More than 13 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with the virus, although more than 7.5 million have recovered.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET