The President of the Children’s Court has issued an amendment to Public Notice 7, dated 27 August 2020 following advice from Justice Health and Youth Justice.  As a result, further changes to practice have been made to minimise the risk of the virus entering a custodial setting and will apply until further notice.

The Local Court continues to have measures in place to reduce physical contact in criminal proceedings during the COVID pandemic. Guidelines for the appearances of legal representatives in the Court have been drafted in consultation with the Chief Magistrate’s office and reflect the current arrangements, as set out in the Chief Magistrate’s memoranda for the appearances of legal representatives. View the guidelines here.

The Morrison Government will establish a $13.5 million pilot program to better identify and support families who are entering the family law system and are at risk of domestic violence. The Lighthouse Project will screen participants involved in family law parenting matters for risk factors when a matter is filed. In NSW, the pilot program will be run through the Parramatta family law registry. The Courts, together with Women’s Legal Service, have partnered with state law societies and family law networks to deliver information and professional development sessions to ensure the legal profession is well informed of the new program. More here.

A staff member at the David Jones Elizabeth Street store in Sydney has tested positive for COVID-19 and is recovering in isolation at home. The staff member attended work within the Food Hall on Saturday 22 August, Sunday 23 August and Tuesday 25 August. If you visited the Elizabeth Street Food Hall on these dates and feel unwell or experience any cough or flu-like symptoms, it is recommended you seek testing for COVID-19. The Food Service and Fresh Food offerings at the Elizabeth Street store are currently closed as a precautionary measure. A deep clean of the store has been completed and contact tracing has been undertaken in accordance with all health authority guidelines. It is expected the Food Service and Fresh Food areas of the Food Hall will reopen on Friday 28 August; please note, all other areas of the Food Hall remain open at this time. More here. 

Anyone who lives or works in Sydney’s West and South West and has even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms is being urged to come forward for testing, as mystery COVID-19 cases continue to emerge in the region. More here.

Victoria has recorded 113 new cases and the death toll has risen to 485 with a further 23 deaths overnight, 22 of which are linked to aged care facilities. NSW has recorded nine new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with five linked to a cluster in the Sydney CBD. View NSW COVID-19 news, updates and case locations here.

COVID-19 relief funding will allow families to access free preschool until the end of Term 4 2020. The extended funding will help families keep their children enrolled at community and mobile preschools during COVID-19. More here.

NSW small businesses will benefit from a new $45 million grant program designed to cushion the economic impacts of the southern border closure. Businesses in 13 Local Government Areas along the NSW and Victorian border will be able to apply for $5,000 and $10,000 grants through Service NSW from Tuesday 8 September. More here.

NSW domestic and family violence services experiencing increased demand as a result of COVID-19 can now apply for a share of $9 million in Federal Government funding under the COVID-19 Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Grant program. More here.

The Morrison Government will scale up aged care support programs in Victoria and across Australia with an additional $171.5 million to boost a new COVID-19 response plan agreed by all states and territories. National Cabinet has endorsed a plan to boost aged care preparedness for rapid emergency response to COVID-19. More here.

More than a third (35 per cent) of Australian businesses expect to find it difficult or very difficult to meet financial commitments over the next three months, according to the latest results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). More here.

Information about Australian Taxation Office measures and tailored support during COVID-19 is available here.