Covid-19 Relaxation of Student Visa Working Hours

Some sectors including Supermarkets and Aged Care facilities will be able to apply for relaxation of enforcement of student visa working hours.

This will allow them to give more working hours to international students who are currently restricted to 40 hours per fortnight.

International students ready to fill critical staff shortages in aged care

Find out more on the Department of Home Affairs Website

Covid-19: Business Conditions Survey

Due to the current mounting pressures on businesses, Business NSW are requesting your support in completing this special edition of their Business Conditions Survey in order to better understand the impact of coronavirus, bushfires, drought and other weather-related events. 
 
This survey aims to provide an honest and comprehensive analysis of economic trends, opportunities and challenges for businesses in NSW.
 
Your participation will also give you the chance to win a $500 EFTPOS gift card* or a runner-up prize that you can choose to spend in your local community.

Covid-19: Arts Impact Survey

It's been a difficult time for the creative and cultural industries with many events being downscaled, postponed, or cancelled - and artists are feeling the immediate effects. Western Riverina Arts are currently working with organisations across our region to devise strategies to deal with the current situation.

National Association for the Visual Arts is working closely with national peak organisations as well as state and federal ministries and government departments to understand these impacts and represent them in detail, so that government at all levels is in the best position to consider urgent policy and funding responses.

Has your work, or cultural and creative activities been affected? It is essential we get feedback from our Western Riverina community to better understand these impacts comprehensively. Please take the time to share and complete this survey.

Covid-19: Self-care for Clinicians

Three Rivers University Department of Rural Health would like to support all health professionals and staff to access free online courses to support their knowledge with the anticipated increase use of telehealth in clinical services and general wellbeing of self-care for clinicians with measures being put in place for COVID 19.

Self-Care for Clinicians – This short course focuses on strategies to reduce stress and promote greater wellbeing as a clinician. Further information can be found at Three Rivers Rural Clinical Education Support

Covid-19: Telehealth - Embracing Technology in Healthcare

Three Rivers University Department of Rural Health would like to support all health professionals and staff to access free online courses to support their knowledge with the anticipated increase use of telehealth in clinical services and general wellbeing of self-care for clinicians with measures being put in place for COVID 19.

This course is designed to facilitate learning and understanding about telehealth services so clinicians can begin to include it in their provision of healthcare and learn more about best practice in telehealth service delivery.

Telehealth is recognised as a growing adjunct to health service delivery, especially in rural areas. It is expected that all health professionals, and students graduating from health courses, should be familiar with the opportunities and challenges of telehealth services. This course is designed to facilitate your learning and understanding about telehealth services so that you can begin to include it in your provision of healthcare and learn more about best practice in telehealth service delivery. 

Telehealth - Embracing technology in healthcare aims to:

• Provide key concepts of telehealth and its role within healthcare

• Educate health students and professionals to deliver appropriate telehealth services

• Promote the awareness and opportunities to incorporate telehealth in healthcare delivery

Course content, patient scenarios, resources, and guides have a focus on the current telehealth practice within the Three Rivers footprint. The modules have been designed to be easy to navigate and to include interactive opportunities for students and health professionals.

Webinar Covid-19: The Impacts on Tourism

To support our regional tourism communities during these unprecedented times, Australian Regional Tourism (ART) is hosting an online panel discussion to provide guidance to local governments supporting their local tourism operators and industry through the impacts of COVID-19.

A panel discussion will be facilitated by Coralie Bell, ART Chair and Tourism Manager at Shoalhaven City Council.
 
The webinar agenda may vary based on the changing nature of the situation, with discussion to cover:
  - Event cancellations, including private and government-managed events
  - Accommodation bookings and managing cancellations
  - Managing visitor communication and facilities
 
WHERE: Online, REGISTER HERE
WHEN: Thursday 19th March 2020
TIME: 12-1pm (AEDT), including 15 min Q&A

If you are unable to attend the webinar, recordings will be sent to registered participants and each session will also be accessible from The Tourism Hub.

Registrations are essential for this free event.

Covid-19: NSW Government Announces $2.3 Billion Health Boost and Economic Stimulus

The NSW Government has announced a major $2.3 billion health boost and economic stimulus package to protect the community and help protect jobs in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak over the next six months.

This package has two key components: $700 million in extra health funding and $1.6 billion in tax cuts to support jobs.

Key elements of the NSW COVID-19 package include:

Health boost

• $700 million extra funding for NSW Health. This will assist in doubling ICU capacity, preparing for additional COVID-19 testing, purchasing additional ventilators and medical equipment, establishing acute respiratory clinics and bringing forward elective surgeries to private hospitals.

Business support and jobs 

• $450 million for the waiver of payroll tax for businesses with payrolls of up to $10 million for three months (the rest of 2019-20). This means these businesses will save a quarter of their annual payroll tax bill in 2019-20

• $56 million to bring forward the next round of payroll tax cuts by raising the threshold limit to $1 million in 2020-21

• $80 million to waive a range of fees and charges for small businesses including bars, cafes, restaurants and tradies

• $250 million to employ additional cleaners of public infrastructure such as transport assets, schools and other public buildings

• More than $250 million to bring forward maintenance on public assets including social housing and crown land fencing

• $500 million to bring forward capital works and maintenance.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Government’s package bolstered the health system, cuts taxes for business that employed tens of thousands of people across the
State, and would help secure jobs at a very challenging time.

“Our first priority is always the health of the people of this State and looking after their families and jobs,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“This package works hand-in-hand with the recent moves by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Federal Government. It will provide more resources to help slow the spread of this virus and boost treatment for those people in our community who need it most.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the NSW package would help businesses struggling with a once-in-a-generation event.

“The Government stands ready to do whatever it takes to keep people safe and ensure our economy withstands this storm,” Mr Perrottet said.

“Today we are injecting $700 million into the health system and almost $1.6 billion to boost business. In simple terms, this money will help save the lives of loved ones and protect jobs.

“We are supporting business by lowering their costs through tax cuts and fee reductions, and working to boost jobs by funding ready-to-go capital work and maintenance projects as a priority.”

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the Government was doing whatever it took to support front line health workers, and urged people to follow important safety messages.

“Our health workers are doing an amazing job,” Mr Hazzard said.

“This extra funding backs the work of our doctors, nurses, allied health staff, ambulance officers and support staff in the fight to prevent the spread of and prepare for COVID-19.”

Covid-19: Federal Government Announces $17.6 Billion Economic Stimulus Package

The Government has announced a $17.6 billion economic plan as the world deals with the significant challenges posed by the spread of the coronavirus.

The targeted stimulus package is focused on keeping Australians in jobs and helping small and medium sized businesses to stay in business. 

The package has four parts:

• Supporting business investment

• Providing cash flow assistance to help small and medium sized business to stay in business and keep their employees in jobs

• Targeted support for the most severely affected sectors, regions and communities;

• Household stimulus payments that will benefit the wider economy

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said as part of the plan up to 6.5 million individuals and 3.5 million businesses would be directly supported by the package.

“Just as we have acted decisively to protect the health of the Australian people, based on the best evidence and medical advice, our support package responds to the economic challenges presented by this pandemic in a timely, proportionate and targeted way,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our plan will back Australian households with a stimulus payment to boost growth, bolster domestic confidence and consumption, reduce cash flow pressures for businesses and support new investments to lift productivity.

“Australia is not immune to the global coronavirus challenge but we have already taken steps to prepare for this looming international economic crisis.

“Our targeted stimulus package will focus on keeping Australians in jobs and keeping businesses in business so we can bounce back strongly.

Support for business investment

• $700 million to increase the instant asset write off threshold from $30,000 to $150,000 and expand access to include businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $500 million (up from $50 million) until 30 June 2020. For example, assets that may be able to be immediately written off are a concrete tank for a builder, a tractor for a farming business, and a truck for a delivery business.

• $3.2 billion to back business investment by providing a time limited 15 month investment incentive (through to 30 June 2021) to support business investment and economic growth over the short term, by accelerating depreciation deductions. Businesses with a turnover of less than $500 million will be able to deduct an additional 50 per cent of the asset cost in the year of purchase.

These measures will support over 3.5 million businesses (over 99 per cent of businesses) employing more than 9.7 million employees or 3 in every 4 workers. The measures are designed to support business sticking with investment they had planned, and encouraging them to bring investment forward to support economic growth over the short term.

Cash flow assistance for businesses

• $6.7 billion to Boost Cash Flow for Employers by up to $25,000 with a minimum payment of $2,000 for eligible small and medium-sized businesses. The payment will provide cash flow support to businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million that employ staff, between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2020. The payment will be tax free. This measure will benefit around 690,000 businesses employing around 7.8 million people. Businesses will receive payments of 50 per cent of their Business Activity Statements or Instalment Activity Statement from 28 April with refunds to then be paid within 14 days.

• $1.3 billion to support small businesses to support the jobs of around 120,000 apprentices and trainees. Eligible employers can apply for a wage subsidy of 50 per cent of the apprentice’s or trainee’s wage for up to 9 months from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020. Where a small business is not able to retain an apprentice, the subsidy will be available to a new employer that employs that apprentice.

Stimulus payments to households to support growth

• $4.8 billion to provide a one-off $750 stimulus payment to pensioners, social security, veteran and other income support recipients and eligible concession card holders. Around half of those that will benefit are pensioners. The payment will be tax free and will not count as income for Social Security, Farm Household Allowance and Veteran payments. There will be one payment per eligible recipient. If a person qualifies for the one off payment in multiple ways, they will only receive one payment.

Payments will be from 31 March 2020 on a progressive basis, with over 90 per cent of payments expected to be made by mid-April.

Assistance for severely-affected regions

• $1 billion to support those sectors, regions and communities that have been disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of the Coronavirus, including those heavily reliant on industries such as tourism, agriculture and education. This will include the waiver of fees and charges for tourism businesses that operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Commonwealth National Parks. It will also include additional assistance to help businesses identify alternative export markets or supply chains. Targeted measures will also be developed to further promote domestic tourism. Further plans and measures to support recovery will be designed and delivered in partnership with the affected industries and communities.

The Government is also offering administrative relief for certain tax obligations, including deferring tax payments up to four months. This is similar to relief provided following the bushfires for taxpayers affected by the coronavirus, on a case-by-case basis.  The ATO will set up a temporary shop front in Cairns within the next few weeks with dedicated staff specialising in assisting small business. In addition, the ATO will consider ways to enhance its presence in other significantly affected regions to make it easier for people to apply for relief, including considering further temporary shop fronts and face-to-face options.