24 March 2020 / COVID-19

PM Announcements

The Prime Minister just made the following announcements post National Cabinet Meeting this morning:

  • Over the course of the past week 2/3 of decrease of movement across Australia … 80% over last week alone – significant change on the way people are taking this message and supporting each other
  • Thank you from the Commonwealth, States and Territories, Australia – keep doing it – you’re saving lives and you’re saving livelihoods – this has been a significant shift
  • Need to keep seeing it taking place - let’s keep doing it Australia
  • Washing hands, staying 1.5m away, only going out when you absolutely have to and just doing simple things like not going to the pub etc
  • Even though we have to be isolated no Australian has to go through this alone
  • Australia has the highest testing rates in the world today
  • Efforts at commonwealth and state levels are all making a difference
  • It is a vital time and we are all getting on top of it and we need to keep on top of it
  • This weekend the challenge will be there but keep doing the right thing to save lives and livelihoods
  • Business are being agile and adapting even under significant change and distress
  • Others it has been devastating which is being seen as people try and access our safety nets
  • We’re in 2 fights – battling it on two fronts – both important – all the measures implemented and the economic crisis caused as a result
  • Both will take lives and livelihoods
  • Commonwealth, States and Territories will all be doing more to provide whatever assistance they can
  • No decision on the health front is being taken lightly
  • Every day someone is in a job for just another day is worth fighting for
  • Keeping things running everyday matters – it matters for the jobs, businesses, their families hence it matters to the PM, Prems & CM
  • The Govt will not take them for convenience … every decision has very real deep personal impacts it can place on them at the most difficult of times
  • Further actions – targeted against our greatest area of concern:
    • Enables us to deal with the increasing pressure of Australians coming home
    • We can now focus on that because of the work Australians have done over the past week on behaviours
    • 2/3 of new cases are still Australians who have returned home – very different to the rest of the world
    • As time has gone on – the risk of those returning from other parts is increasing because other countries have the virus too
    • Strengthening the enforcement of self-isolation for people returning – Isolation Declaration Card has been used so far – this is now enforceable by law at a State and Territory level now with strong penalties for non-compliance
    • In addition to the arrival declaration card – as of midnight tomorrow (11.59PM Saturday) all States & Territories will be quarantining all arrivals in hotels and other accom for 2 weeks in mandatory isolation before they can return home (if home is SA, Perth, Sydney etc and they arrive in Melbourne – Melbourne is where they will do their quarantine)
    • Each State will be doing the heavy lifting themselves to enforce this measure in a reciprocal arrangement with each other and the Cth
    • Cth will be supporting them with Defence personnel to assist in compliance with the arrangements – they are not authorised as enforcement agents – only there to support the local authorities
    • Cth will be supporting with enforcing the existing isolation arrangements – ADF will support with compliance checks of residences etc
  • Economy – Dr Kennedy briefing of the impacts to States & Territories – PM + Treasurer will announce more in coming days
  • Third tranche coming with additional support for Australians over difficult months ahead
  • They are trying to maintain as much as possible for the economy
  • Part of the plan will be to seek to ‘hibernate’ Australian businesses – innovative approach – more to say about this soon
  • Businesses who will have to close their doors and keep them closed either because of necessity of the measures or lack of business
  • They want these businesses to start again
  • Don’t want next 6 months to be saddled by debt, rental payments or other liabilities so they can’t start again on the other side
  • Employees come back, opportunities come back, the economy comes back
  • Support by States & Territories of managing complex commercial and residential tenancies
  • We have to stick together and support each other – day by day it is becoming a tougher job – but the Gov’t is encouraged by the
  • Next few weeks particularly vital in the battle
  • Still seeing a lot of returning Australians still developing into cases
  • AHPPC recommended single most – stop any capacity for any return traveller who may develop the virus because of other country’s very large outbreaks
  • Third Tranche (from a question ‘Who will lose out to these new measures?) Answer - Landlords will suffer, banks will wear some of it, Councils will contribute, States will contribute – more in coming days

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In October last year Hutchies noted that the industry was shifting away from engineered stone due to the risks of respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis and other silica related diseases.

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To mitigate the impact of potential delays and variations, the best approach is to inform clients of the pending ban and to propose and seek approval for an alternative product.

Similarly, ensure all future estimates have the stone specification qualified and priced accordingly.

Refer to Hutchies' Stone Product & Suitability for Use List on the Document Library.

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