On 15 June 2020, the President of the Children’s Court issued Public Notice no. 5 in view of the further announcements made by government in relation to relaxation of restrictions, particularly the resumption of travel within NSW. The new listing arrangements, together with updated FAQS, are published on the Children’s Court website.

The State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) bulletin has the latest updates on COVID-19 including support for small business and presumption for COVID-19 affected workers. Read the SIRA bulletin here.

New research shows that crime fell sharply in April 2020 coinciding with strict social isolation strategies introduced to control the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the latest report from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), most crime categories like non-domestic violence-related assaults and sexual offences dramatically decreased during the COVID-19 period between the months of March and April. More here.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that the Australian Government is currently aware of and responding to a sustained targeting of Australian governments and companies by a sophisticated state-based actor. Read the Prime Minister’s media statement here.

Unemployment has jumped to 7.1 per cent, to 927,600 people, with 13.1 per cent of the workforce underemployed, according to new data released by the ABS. This is the highest unemployment rate in almost 20 years. 227,000 jobs were lost between April and May. This data shows the impact of the pandemic with the JobKeeper wage subsidy in place. View the latest ABS labour force data here. Read Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer John Frydenberg’s response here.

Latest jobs data released by the ABS shows the unemployment rate in NSW has risen from 6.3 to 6.4 per cent, from a low of 4.5 in January this year. The NSW Government re-iterated its commitment to creating jobs for the tens of thousands of people unemployed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. More here.

The ACCC has welcomed today’s direction from the Australian Government to actively monitor and regularly report on the domestic air travel market, particularly in relation to its competitiveness. The aviation industry globally has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More here.

A phone line support service is now available for members of the Law Society experiencing IT issues whilst working remotely during the pandemic. A third-party IT engineer will be available for resolution or support for technical or cyber security issues. 24-hour call back will also be available. The service will operate from 8:30am – 5pm AEST. The number is 1800 996 613. More here.

The Law Society has launched a new Friday night dinner delivery service in the Sydney metropolitan area to support Foodbank NSW & ACT during the pandemic. Learn more and order here.