Commenting on the story: SA opens border to ACT travellers, NSW still shut out

The ACT has had no cases for over 60 days with open borders with NSW, then why is NSW such a risk to SA? Very frustrating. – Phil Blake

Finally, a sensible move to open up SA borders to residents of the ACT ,which has not had a case of COVID for 66 days.

I ‘should be’ more concerned about catching COVID in SA than I am in the ACT!

I do see though, that I am not allowed into any part of NSW for the 14 days prior to my departure. I had better ensure that I don’t make a wrong turn heading to the Canberra airport as the next turn back towards the airport is in NSW. 

I have also told my work colleague who sits 1.5 metres away not to breathe on me as she drives in from Murrumbateman (not a bad wine area by the way) every day, and which is in NSW. 

Queanbeyan, our main industrial supply area and all of five kms away (a bit like Port Adelaide is to the Adelaide CBD – but closer) is also in NSW. – Dennis Godfrey

Commenting on the story: Border Force rejects national quarantine centre for returning Australians

Many of the Australian trying to get home are working people who have had job contracts and good advice to stay. Many have now found they are stuck and not only have lost their jobs, but also can’t afford the crazy prices to fly home if a flight is even available. 

My friends are in Canada on a 12 month teacher exchange. They were looking forward to an exciting adventure in Canada for a year, but it has turned into a nightmare. Qantas cancelled their return tickets (sorry, we are not flying there at the moment) and a new ticket with another airline is unaffordable for a family of four. Just like thousands of others.

The bottleneck seems to be our quota system. Perhaps a solution would be to get all would-be travellers to get a Covid test every 14 days till they fly, and if documented and clear for 30 days they be allowed to return home, with another 14 days home isolation once home.  

The risk to Australia would be very small but also very manageable and this would allow thousands more home, which in turn would allow more passengers on planes and bring airline prices down. It’s a win-win with very little downside. – Russell Martyn

Commenting on the story: Historic Queen’s Theatre to be revamped

Great move. Air conditioning essential. Some theatre companies have been handing out blankets to patrons.

You need a minimum of two between April and October. – Ian Fry

My great-great-grandfather William Formby owned this building in the 1870s and developed it as Formby’s Horse Bazaar. 

It was considered a huge innovation in its day as all horse trading in Adelaide until then was done under canvas, and this provided a covered facility allowing all-weather trading to occur. 

We hope this important story doesn’t get erased during the redevelopment. – Guy Adams

Commenting on the story: Cuts to Centrelink JobSeeker will cost SA $1.6 billion and 13,000 jobs: report

As Australia faces its first recession in thirty years, what we don’t need is more downward pressure on the economy. 

At the time when more and more people are losing their jobs and having to access Jobseeker while they look for work, now is not the time to remove demand (and therefore jobs) from the economy.  We need our Government and our taxpayer dollars to be working hard for our entire community and driving the economy out of recession.

The Deloitte Access Economics report bursts some of that myth that bubbles up around government support: maintaining the Covid supplement will not be a disincentive for people seeking paid work. And in a time of high and increasing unemployment, it is unreasonable to suggest that those relying on JobSeeker should just find a job.

The modelling also shows that the higher JobSeeker rate is more effective as an economic stimulus than tax cuts (much as we all love a tax cut). But whereas those benefitting from the tax cuts are more likely to save their money or pay down debt – thereby immediately removing the extra money from the economy – those without paid work have little choice but to spend straight away on essentials, thereby generating local demand which results in local jobs.

“Cutting the $550-a-fortnight coronavirus supplement would “harm the economic recovery and decrease both GDP and employment across Australia”.“

 It can’t be much blunter than that. – Louise Miller Frost, CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society (SA)

Commenting on the story: Govt keeping hospital costings under wraps – despite orders to release them

The uncertainty and inordinate delay in the public release of at least preliminary information on the financing, structure and functions of the proposed new WCH is unacceptable.

What is clear from Ministerial statements is that the new build will be at least six years away, and in these uncertain times its reality and future must be under threat.

In the meantime, the existing WCH is being run down. There is chronic and ongoing under-resourcing, under-staffing, deteriorating patient care and low staff morale.

Essential high level services are suffering, including for cancer patients, for children with neurological, hormone and joint problems and even in specialised obstetric care.

The absence of a heart surgery unit means that around 100 babies and children are shipped off to Melbourne each year for lifesaving treatments. This cannot go on and must be rectified.

We are told by local experts that a heart surgery unit can safely and efficiently be established at the WCH, and the cost of providing these critical services locally will be substantially less than accessing them interstate.

If the Health Minister is serious in his claim that South Australia can look forward to a ‘world class’ WCH, then he must put his money where his mouth is – establishing heart surgery and resourcing and upgrading specialist services.  

If he cannot do this then he must make it clear to the electorate and to women and children in South Australia that the new WCH will never be ‘world class’.

Instead, it will be second rate. – Warren Jones