The Honourable James Allsop AO, Chief Justice, Federal Court of Australia, has issued an update for the profession on court operations during COVID-19. Read here.

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter has released draft legislation to codify existing protections for individuals’ data collected by the COVIDSafe app. Find details here.

The Law Council of Australia has welcomed the public release of the government’s exposure draft Bill underpinning the COVIDSafe app. Read more here.

Fair Trading’s website has been updated to provide guidance information to assist in the operation of schemes and management of residents in the current environment. Information can be found here.

Agents and vendors will be able to hold traditional property inspections and on-site auctions from this weekend after a six-week limited shutdown due to COVID-19. Read more.

While it is important that we maintain our physical distance during COVID-19, it is important to remain socially connected. Read these tips on how you can support your peers during the pandemic restrictions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the priority now is to kickstart the economy and get more than 1 million Australians back to work. A revamped Safe Work Australia website now provides a COVID-19 central information hub, with WHS guidance and tools for all Australian workplaces, to help manage health and safety risks posed by COVID-19. In other news, the Reserve Bank has held official interest rates at 0.25 per cent.

Australia and New Zealand are closer to opening their borders to one another after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met with Australia's national cabinet via video link today. Ardern confirmed a lot of work needs to be done before the countries can create a ‘trans-Tasman bubble’.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has provided a snapshot on the economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions, saying that for every extra week that the current level of restrictions remains in place the Australian economy will lose $4 billion.

During a video message to the European Commission, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged a total of $AU352 million towards the global effort to fight COVID-19 and to find a vaccine. Read the transcript here.