Chief Justice, the Hon. William Alstergren has issued a comprehensive update on the continued operations of the FCA and FCC during the COVID-19 pandemic. This update also provides suggestions to legal practitioners about how to actively and proactively engage with the Courts during COVID-19 restrictions. Read more here.

The NSW Government is set to enact the National Cabinet Code of Conduct as part of a $440 million land tax relief package. The measures will apply to commercial leases where the tenant is in financial distress due to COVID-19. The relief will be divided 50-50, with around $220 million going to the commercial sector and $220 million to the residential sector. Read details here.

National Cabinet has agreed to a nationally consistent approach to hardship support across the essential services for households and small businesses. Businesses eligible for the JobKeeper payment will automatically be considered to be under financial stress for the purposes of accessing hardship arrangements. Read more here.

This instrument establishes the JobKeeper payment to assist employers affected by the coronavirus to allow them to continue to retain their employees. Read more here.

The Federal Government’s recently updated JobKeeper payment factsheet is available here.

The NSW Government has announced COVID-19 tax relief measures in relation to payroll tax and land tax. See COVID-19 (coronavirus) and Revenue NSW for further information about the tax measures, as well as updates on court proceedings, parking space levies and more.

The Australian Banking Association website has detailed information on the measures banks are taking to assist people and small businesses impacted by COVID-19 including a COVID-19 bank relief FAQ page.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission website has the latest information on the rights and obligations of small business and consumers in response to events caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Private health insurers have been granted conditional interim authorisation to co-ordinate on providing financial relief to policy holders during the COVID-19 pandemic, and broadening insurance coverage to include COVID-19 treatment, tele-health and medical treatment provided at home. Read more here.

The NSW Premier has announced a new service that will allow patients to receive same-day results for COVID-19 via a text message. Read details here.

The Law Council of Australia has developed a fact sheet outlining the rights and responsibilities of individuals under the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth). Read it here.

View the latest COVID-19 health data, issued each afternoon by the Australian Government’s Health Department. The latest NSW health stats are available here.

The Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia, the Hon William Alstergren, has issued a Special Measures Information Note in relation to the Appellate Division of the Family Court of Australia. The Note sets out guidance on registry operations, electronic filing, signatures on documents and affidavits, arrangements for court listings, contact details for each Regional Appeal Registry, and open justice considerations. Read it here.