O75 Public Administration

Movement in the Sydney CBD at only 17% of pre-pandemic levels before Greater Sydney prepared to leave lockdown

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows that movement in the Sydney CBD and Melbourne CBD was at only 17% of pre-pandemic levels in early October, just before the lockdown of Greater Sydney was set to end. The average 7-day movement level in the Sydney CBD hit a low of 8% of pre-pandemic levels in late July and have slowly increased since then as restrictions have been eased as vaccination rates have increased rapidly. Late last week NSW hit a mark of 70% of the population aged 16+ being fully vaccinated, which is the mark that was set for the ending of the lockdown of Greater Sydney this week. Average movement levels in the Melbourne CBD have tracked closely with those in the Sydney CBD over the last two months since Greater Melbourne entered its record sixth lockdown in early August. However, full vaccination rates in Victoria are at under 60%, well behind those in NSW, and Greater Melbourne is not set to end its current lockdown until the last week of October. The movement levels in other Capital City CBDs have increased over the last few weeks as Australia emerged from Winter. Once again it is the Adelaide CBD which has average movement levels closest to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ at 74%, just ahead of the Perth CBD at 73% of pre-pandemic averages. Notably, this is the highest level of movement in the Perth CBD for nearly six months. Roy Morgan has partnered with leading technology innovator UberMedia to aggregate data from tens of thousands of mobile devices to assess the movements of Australians as we deal with the restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UBERMEDIA

Inflation Expectations up 0.2% points to 4.5% in September; highest for three years since October 2018

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

In September 2021, Australians expected inflation of 4.5% annually over the next two years, up 0.2% points and the highest Inflation Expectations since October 2018. Inflation Expectations are now 1.2% points higher than a year ago (3.3%). Inflation Expectations are still 0.2% points below their long-term average of 4.7%, but a full 1% point higher than the record low 2020 monthly average of 3.5%. A look at Inflation Expectations by Generations shows that there is now agreement between people of different ages about how much prices are set to rise. Inflation Expectations have increased across the board but have increased most rapidly for Australians aged under 60 – led by Millennials – up 1.6% points from a year ago to 4.5% in September. Generation X, now aged from 45-60, have the highest Inflation Expectations at 4.6% in September, an increase of 1.3% points from a year ago. The Inflation Expectations of Generation Z have also increased significantly, up 1.2% points to 4.5% – matching the increase of Australians overall. Although Inflation Expectations for Baby Boomers are in line with the national average at 4.5% this is an increase of only 0.7% points from a year ago while older Australians, aged 75+, the Pre-Boomers, now have the lowest Inflation Expectations at 4.2%, up only 0.6% points from a year ago. On a State-based level Inflation Expectations are highest and well above the national average in Tasmania at 5.1%. Inflation Expectations are above the national average in New South Wales at 4.7%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Next freedom day in NSW set for October 25

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Original article by Mary Ward
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

Some 74 per cent of New South Wales residents aged 16+ are now fully vaccinated. Based on current rates of vaccination the state should reach the 80 per cent target in just over a week. This would allow the next easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney to occur on 25 October, in line with the state’s reopening roadmap. Premier Dominic Perrottet says the government is unlikely to bring forward this date after refusing to bring forward the first ‘freedom day’ despite reaching the 70 per cent vaccination milestone ahead of schedule. NSW reported 498 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases and eight additional deaths on Monday.

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NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Andrews loses fourth minister to branch stacking scandal

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Original article by Sumeyya Ilanbey
The Age – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

Luke Donnellan resigned as Victoria’s Aged Care Minister on the first day of an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission inquiry, after he was named as being part of a Labor branch-stacking operation led by former minister Adem Somyurek. Donnellan is the fourth member of the state government to have resigned in connection to the branch-stacking scandal; Somyurek, Marlene Kairouz and Robin Scott were forced to resign in 2020 after the media exposed the scandal.

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VICTORIA. INDEPENDENT BROAD-BASED ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

US ‘won’t share nuclear subs’: expert

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 6-Oct-21

Former US submariner and navy commander Bryan Clark believes that Australia is likely to buy Britain’s Astute-class nuclear-powered submarine. Clark doubts that the US will make its Virginia-class submarine available to Australia under the recently-announced three-nation AUKUS alliance. He adds that the Astute-class vessel is smaller and significantly less expensive, and is designed for a range of different missions. Clark adds that the US is also highly unlikely to lease refurbished nuclear submarines to Australia.

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Mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for WA FIFO and mining workers

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Original article by James Carmody
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 6-Oct-21

The Western Australian government has advised that all workers in the state’s mining and energy sector will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This includes ‘fly-in, fly-out’ workers and all visitors to resources projects in the state. The directive will apply to about 100,000 people, who must have their first vaccine dose by 1 December and be fully vaccinated by the start of 2022. Premier Mark McGowan says that amongst other things, the ‘no jab, no job’ policy will protect remote Aboriginal communities; he notes that the mining sector is the largest employer of indigenous people in regional WA.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Perrottet switches focus to recovery

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Original article by Yoni Bashan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 6-Oct-21

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet will chair his first meeting of the state’s crisis cabinet on 6 October, following his landslide win in a leadership ballot. Perrottet gained 39 votes in the partyroom meeting, compared with just five votes for Planning Minister Rob Stokes. Perrottet has flagged plans to shift the crisis cabinet’s focus to economy recovery and community wellbeing, rather than day-to-day emergency management. He has also expressed support for the existing reopening roadmap, but signalled that some changes could be made. NSW recorded 608 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases and seven additional deaths on Tuesday.

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NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Fortescue, ANZ link to bribes tycoon

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Original article by Liam Walsh, Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 6-Oct-21

The Pandora Papers have revealed that several prominent Australian companies have links to Chinese businessman Du Shuanghua, who had testified in 2010 that he had paid bribes to secure Australian iron ore. The documents released by the International Confederation of Investigative Journalists show that Fortescue Metals Group had sold iron ore to Bright Ruby Resources, a commodities trading hub that is controlled by Du. Fortescue has stated that it has a "zero tolerance" approach to bribery and corruption. The Pandora Papers also show that the ANZ Bank has been providing banking services to Bright Ruby Resources since 2013, via its office in Singapore. Du was not prosecuted for his role in the alleged bribery scandal that involved former Rio Tinto executive Wang Yong.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS, BRIGHT RUBY RESOURCES PTE LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence increases for fourth straight week, up 0.9pts to 104.6

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Oct-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 0.9pts to 104.6 on 2/3 October. Consumer Confidence remains below the 2021 weekly average of 108.4, but it is now 8.9 points higher than the same week a year ago (95.7). Consumer Confidence was up in Sydney and Melbourne, as both cities quickly increase their vaccination rates, while down slightly in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Now 29% (up 1ppt) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 27% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 36% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 14% (unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 16% (up 2ppts) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 25% (unchanged) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 36% (down 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 33% (up 2ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Offshore bank accounts exposed

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 36 : 4-Oct-21

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has leaked millions of files from 14 large offshore companies that administer nominee firms for affluent clients in low-tax jurisdictions. Some of their clients include Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, supermodel Claudia Schiffer, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Over 400 Australians have been named in the huge leak of files, which have been dubbed the Pandora Papers ; assets revealed in the leaked files are worth over $1 trillion

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INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS