Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to Senator McKenzie, the Minister representing the Deputy Prime Minister. Can the minister please update the Senate on how regional Australians are doing their bit as part of the response to the Australian response to the health and economic challenges through the COVID-19 pandemic?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to thank Senator Davey for her question and her longstanding support for rural and regional New South Wales. We are standing with your communities, especially those in regional New South Wales who have currently been put into lockdown.

COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact not only here in Australia but also right across the world. More than four million lives have been lost globally and we are facing the largest global economic shock since the Great Depression. Early and decisive action by our government in conjunction with state governments saved 30,000 lives and millions of jobs. We closed our borders, the Prime Minister established the national cabinet and we invested over $291 billion in direct assistance to individuals and businesses to reduce the impact. We know these measures have had a significant impact on all Australians, mentally, socially and financially, and no one knows that better than those that live in regional and rural areas. The ongoing impact of COVID-19 and the stop-start, sporadic nature of lockdowns—especially in regional New South Wales, with the Hunter Valley, Tamworth and Armidale just recently being declared Commonwealth hotspots—do take their toll. However, this frustration pales next to the difficulties we'd face if we didn't do everything we could to stop the spread.

Regional Australians are doing the right thing, lining up in droves, pulling up their sleeves and getting vaccinated, with over 3.7 million Australians in rural and regional Australia getting their jabs. That's increasing day on day, each and every day. Our First Nations people are also rolling up their sleeves. As of this morning, more than 160,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, nearly 30 per cent, have received at least one dose. Community pharmacies right across the country have kept their doors open. They are now playing their role in regional communities rolling out the vaccine. Our government has allocated nearly $48 million—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator McKenzie. Senator Davey, a supplementary question?

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is the Liberal and Nationals government supporting rural and regional communities as we chart our way back from COVID?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our government has provided a raft of support to regional communities through the COVID-19 pandemic. That's why we're delivering highly targeted financial assistance through the COVID disaster payment to workers who live or work in a Commonwealth declared hotspot. It's specifically tailored to workers impacted by those lockdowns, and Services Australia has already processed more than 1.8 million COVID disaster payment claims, paying out more than $2 billion to workers to date. We will not stop standing with individuals, as they feel, in a very individual way, the impact of those lockdowns, when they're doing the right thing and staying home and stopping the spread. In addition to this, the pandemic leave disaster payment supports those who have been directed by a state official to isolate for more than 14 days. We've also ensured that staff at meatworks have been identified as being in a high-priority job role in the first two phases of the vaccine rollout, so that we can actually support our agricultural industries.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator McKenzie. Senator Davey, a final supplementary question?

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is regional Australia so critical to the success of our economic recovery post COVID?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Regional Australia is critical to driving our economy post-COVID. We know that agriculture and mining are key industries that stabilise our economic growth. We know that, by supporting the agricultural industry, we've supported international freight task as supply chains have been challenged by COVID-19. Additionally, when our own domestic supply to supermarkets was challenged, particularly last year, we set up transport arrangements to make sure that we could get food from farm to distribution centre to supermarkets, so that Australians who were in lockdown could still access high-quality food. We've negotiated an agricultural visa, which we look to to address some of those workforce shortages that are a result of our international border closures. Every single step of the way, our government is supporting Australians in rural and regional Australia to get through this pandemic and to come outside stronger.