A practitioner guide to electronic Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has been developed by the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia. The Courts are conducting electronic ADR events using Microsoft Teams videoconferencing and/or teleconferencing. Read more here.

The Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia have seen a significant increase in urgent applications filed since restrictions have been imposed as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Courts have established two dedicated, national specialist lists aimed at dealing with urgent applications caused directly by COVID-19. The Lists will commence operation tomorrow, 29 April 2020. More details here.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has implemented a range of revised procedures to minimise the risk of harm to AAT members and staff and visitors to AAT registries during COVID-19, whilst enabling the continuation of reviews, where possible. Read more here.

NSW residents will be allowed to visit other households in groups of two adults from Friday, in the state's first relaxation of social distancing restrictions. Watch the Premier’s media conference here.

The NSW Government will expediate the approval process for 24 projects to boost the state’s economy and create opportunities for thousands of new jobs in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Read more here.

The Australian Taxation Office is extending the time available for businesses to pay their employees and still be able to claim back the first JobKeeper payments. Businesses suffering a significant reduction in turnover due to COVID-19 will now have until 8 May 2020 to ensure all eligible employees have received a minimum of $3,000 in gross wages for the first two fortnights of the JobKeeper support period. Details here.

More than two million Australians have voluntarily downloaded and registered for the new coronavirus app, COVIDSafe. The app is part of the three key requirements for easing restrictions: Test, Trace and Respond. Read the COVID-19 FAQs here.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will provide a Ministerial Statement to the House of Representatives and the Minister for Finance to the Senate on 12 May 2020 outlining the impact of the coronavirus on the economy and the Government’s actions to date. Federal Government support for the Australian economy during the crisis has totalled $320 billion, or 16.4 per cent of GDP. Read more here.

Households struggling to pay their energy bills during COVID-19 can access additional financial support directly through Service NSW and the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. The Energy Accounts Payment Assistance Scheme assessment threshold has been temporarily increased so people can receive up to $400 per assessment twice per year, compared to the normal amount of $300. More details here.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the research findings from the 2019 FLIP Stream topic ‘Change Leadership for Lawyers’ will now be presented via webcast on Wednesday 29 April 2020. With COVID-19 disrupting our daily lives, understanding how to manage change – whether transformational or crisis-driven, planned or emergent – is even more vital. Read more and register here.

Dr Steven Kennedy PSM, Secretary of the Treasury, appeared before the Select Committee into the Australian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canberra today. Read his opening statement here.