O75 Public Administration

PM urges Berejiklian to keep up the fight

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Original article by James O’Doherty, Angira Bharadwaj
The Daily Telegraph – Page: 5 : 20-Aug-21

New South Wales has recorded 681 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while the state’s death toll from the current outbreak has risen to 61. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has conceded that the Delta variant means that achieving zero new cases in the community is unrealistic, and the nation will have to "learn to live with Delta" when 80 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated and the economy reopens. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has emphasised the importance of a suppression strategy in Sydney, arguing that the lockdown must work. The state government has extended the lockdown in regional NSW until 28 August, in line with the Greater Sydney lockdown.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Jobless data hides the premiers’ recession

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Original article by Terry McCrann
Herald Sun – Page: 59 : 20-Aug-21

The latest ‘official’ unemployment data belies the fact that the Australian economy is already in a ‘second wave’ recession. The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that the unemployment rate fell to a 12-year low of just 4.6 per cent in July. The more accurate and more meaningful data released by Roy Morgan two weeks ago had already shown that the real jobless rate in July was 9.7 per cent. Likewise, the Roy Morgan figures show that the underemployment rate is 9.1 per cent, compared with the ABS estimate of 8.3 per cent. Unlike the Roy Morgan data, the ABS figures cover only the first half of July, so they include Victoria’s fifth lockdown but not the current and already much longer one.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Movement in the Perth & Adelaide CBDs now at around two-thirds of pre-pandemic averages while Sydney & Melbourne CBDs locked down

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 20-Aug-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows movement in the Perth CBD and the Adelaide CBD increasing to around two-thirds of their pre-pandemic average in mid-August, even as extended lockdowns cause movement to remain well below pre-pandemic levels in both the Sydney CBD and Melbourne CBD. The average 7-day movement level in the Adelaide CBD was at 67% of pre-pandemic levels in mid-August, just ahead of the Perth CBD at 64%. This is the highest level of movement in both cities since late May. Both cities have had one short and sharp lockdown during the winter months and both have managed to snuff out their respective outbreaks of COVID-19. In contrast, movement levels in the Sydney CBD remain near record lows at only 14% of pre-pandemic levels – a slight increase since restrictions on the construction industry were relaxed somewhat in early August. The average movement levels in the Melbourne CBD were also at only 14% of pre-pandemic levels in mid-August as the city entered its sixth lockdown in early August. Since then the Melbourne lockdown has been extended until September and this week restrictions have been tightened with a curfew re-introduced and the banning of the use of children’s playground equipment. Just behind the two leaders in third place is the Hobart CBD with movement levels at 55% of pre-pandemic averages in mid-August. Movement in the Brisbane CBD was at 45% of pre-pandemic averages in mid-August and bouncing back quickly after the city’s fifth lockdown ended just over a week ago. 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

ALP (54%) increases lead over L-NP (46%) – as Melbourne and Sydney lockdowns continue

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 19-Aug-21

ALP support is at 54% (up 0.5% points since early August) cf. L-NP on 46% (down 0.5% points) on a two-party preferred basis after Melbourne’s sixth lockdown was extended, Sydney’s lockdown was extended to the whole State of NSW and the ACT entered lockdown for the first time in over a year. This is the largest two-party preferred lead for the ALP since the bushfires crisis of early 2020. If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be elected with the largest share of the vote since the 1977 Federal Election won by Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser with 54.6% of the vote. Voting analysis by State shows the ALP leading on a two-party preferred basis in Australia’s two largest States of Victoria and NSW and also holding leads in WA, SA and Tasmania. The LNP leads only in Queensland. Interviewing for the Roy Morgan Poll was conducted over the weekends of August 7/8 & 14/15, with a nationally representative cross-section of 2,747 Australian electors using a combination of telephone and online interviews.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

NSW to hit 2200 cases a day if virus continues to spread at current rate

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Original article by Lucy Carroll, Lucy Cormack
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 19-Aug-21

A record 633 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases have been reported in New South Wales in the last 24 hours; at least 92 of these people were active in the community while they were infectious. The state’s reproductive rate is currently 1.3, and Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned that case numbers will keep rising until this falls below 1. University of Melbourne epidemiologist James McCaw says daily case numbers in NSW could potentially rise to around 2,000 within a month, given that there are now more than 3,800 mystery cases. The state’s death toll from the current outbreak has risen by three, to 59.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Movement in the Adelaide CBD bounces back after short lockdown while movement in the Sydney CBD continues to trail other cities

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Aug-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows that movement in the Adelaide CBD bounced back quickly following its short lockdown in July, while movement remains low in both the Sydney CBD and Melbourne CBD – both in lockdown. The average 7-day movement level in the Adelaide CBD was at 40% of pre-pandemic averages in early August, up by 25% points from a low of 15% in late July. The entire State of South Australia was locked down from July 21-27 to deal with the State’s first outbreak of COVID-19 so far this year. The average movement level in the Sydney CBD was at only 10% of pre-pandemic levels in early August and well below other cities. Greater Sydney has now entered its seventh week of lockdown since the city was first locked down on June 26. The city of Melbourne was still recovering from its fifth lockdown in late July, with average movement levels in the Melbourne CBD at only 20% of pre-pandemic levels in early August. The State of Victoria was in lockdown from July 16-27 and exited lockdown only briefly before returning to lockdown just a week later. The Perth CBD has regained its spot as Australia’s most ‘COVID-normal’ city with average movement levels at 55% of pre-pandemic averages in early August. This is the highest they’ve been since early June and the first time Perth has sat atop the rankings since late January when the city entered its second lockdown. Just behind in second place is the Hobart CBD with movement levels at 47% of pre-pandemic averages in early August and the Brisbane CBD at 46% of pre-pandemic averages before last week’s short lockdown. These results do not include the impact of the most recent lockdowns in Victoria or SE Queensland. 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

Melbourne heading in right direction but lockdown extension likely

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Original article by Michael Fowler
The Age – Page: Online : 11-Aug-21

Victoria has recorded 20 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours; only five had been self-isolating while they were infectious, while 10 of the new cases have been linked to a shopping centre in Caroline Springs. Meanwhile, the state government is expected to extend Melbourne’s current lockdown beyond the scheduled end date of 12 August, amid concern about rising case numbers in the western suburbs. University of South Australia epidemiologist Adrian Esterman contends that the restrictions should not be relaxed until daily case numbers are in single digits. He says the four-day average of the current outbreak is still rising and is unlikely to peak for another 2-3 days.

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

NSW in Covid limbo

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Original article by Alexandra Smith, Lucy Cormack, Mary Ward
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 11-Aug-21

New South Wales has recorded 356 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours; at least 97 of these people were active in the community while they were infectious. The state’s toll from the current outbreak has risen to 32 following another three deaths. A fourth person has died after he contracted the coronavirus while overseas and tested positive in hotel quarantine. Meanwhile, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has rejected calls for stricter lockdown measures, such as a curfew or a ‘ring of steel’ around Sydney, and flagged the possibility that restrictions could be eased at the end of August if the state achieves its vaccination targets. However, chief health officer Kerry Chant says it is too soon to be thinking about easing restrictions, emphasising the need to reduce daily case numbers.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. MINISTRY OF HEALTH

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops below neutral level of 100 after SE Queensland & Victoria plunged into lockdown

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Aug-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 3.2pts to 98.6 on August 7/8, after new lockdowns were imposed covering South-East Queensland and Victoria and more than 15 million people were placed under stay-at-home orders. Consumer Confidence is well below the 2021 weekly average of 109.9; however, it remains 12.1 points higher than the same week a year ago (86.5). The lockdowns in South-East Queensland and Victoria helped drive Consumer Confidence under the neutral level of 100 for the first time since early November 2020. Consumer Confidence in Queensland was down 7.8% on a week ago and Victoria was down 3.0%. However, Consumer Confidence in NSW increased by 3.7% as curbs on some industries were relaxed. Now 24% (down 2ppts) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year (the lowest figure for this indicator so far this year), while 31% (up 4ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially (the highest figure for this indicator so far this year). In addition, 34% (down 3ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 18% (up 3ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 13% (up 2ppts) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 28% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 32% (down 4ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items (the lowest figure for this indicator since late August 2020), while 36% (up 4ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Big carbon nations must cut too: PM

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Original article by Greg Brown, Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Aug-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the federal government will update its 2030 emissions projections ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November. He adds that the update will show that Australia is on track to exceed its Paris climate agreement targets. Morrison also contends that ‘catastrophic’ climate change will only be avoided if China, India and other developing nations take action to reduce their carbon emissions. China and India are regarded as developing nations, so they are not required to cut emissions immediately under the Paris agreement. Morrison is of the view that his government’s focus on reducing carbon emissions via technology rather than taxes will help to boost clean energy uptake in developing nations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED NATIONS