Oceania happenings: Australia, New Zealand, etc - misc (geographical hobbies)

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Australia's cattle industry chalks up another loss in bid to overturn US-controlled cattle genome patent
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-11/m...d/12745896

INTRO: There are concerns research on cattle breeding in Australia could be stifled, following another failed attempt by Australia's cattle industry to block a controversial genome patent from the US. At the core of the dispute is a patent, lodged in 2010 by US company Branhaven LLC, that MLA claimed would have a chilling effect on cattle genomic research in Australia.

The patent described using a common scientific technique for identifying valuable genetic traits in cattle, such as fat marbling or milk production. And MLA was concerned that in its original form, the patent was so broad it could encompass nearly two-thirds of the cattle genome.

While MLA has failed to get rid of the patent, it has succeeded in making it more specific. "The overall case decision means that Branhaven LLC and SelecTraits Genomics LLC have been forced to wind back the broad scope of their original Australian patent application," MLA said in a statement... (MORE)

RELATED (MarketScreener): MLA Meat & Livestock Australia: Statement on Federal Court judgement on livestock patent

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Queensland: The future renewable energy super power?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-11/q...e/12735320

EXCERPT: Queensland has been slower than most other Australian states in expanding its renewables sector, mainly because of its heavy reliance on coal. The Climate Council's 2019 report card showed Queensland ahead of the pack on solar panel uptake, but lagging behind South Australia, the ACT, Tasmania and Victoria in its renewable energy capacity. But change is on the horizon.

A recent report commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation found renewable energy projects could deliver more than a third of Queensland's electricity by 2025, which puts the state on track to reach its 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.

State Government-owned electricity company CleanCo began trading on the National Energy Market late last year, with a target to support 1,000 megawatts of new renewable energy generation by 2025. Its projects include the MacIntyre Wind Farm near Warwick and Western Downs Green Power Hub, which will include Australia's largest solar farm, at Chinchilla in the Western Downs.

An analysis of Australia's proposed renewable energy projects indicated that if all of these projects go ahead, they would produce more power than Queensland's gas and coal industries combined... (MORE - details)

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Negative views of China rise sharply in advanced countries
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...36593.html

EXCERPT: . . . In Australia, 81% said they have an unfavorable view of China, according to the survey, a rise of 24 percentage points from last year. The rise corresponds with higher tensions in the bilateral relationship after Australia led the call for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. China responded on the trade front, suspending imports of Australian beef, putting high tariffs on barley from the country and starting an anti-dumping probe into imports of Australian wine.

While the poll showed Australia had the sharpest increase in negative attitudes toward China, other countries also showed an upward trend: Those with an unfavorable view toward China hit 74% in Britain, a rise of 19 percentage points compared to last year; 71% in Germany, a rise of 15 points; and 73% in the U.S., a rise of 13 points.

The 14 countries surveyed were the U.S., Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., Australia, Japan and South Korea. The margin of error for the survey ranged from 3.1 percentage points in South Korea to 4.2 percentage points in Belgium.

In most countries surveyed, those with higher income levels were equally likely as those with lower levels of income to hold the negative views. The negative views also held across education levels, as those with a postsecondary degree or more were equally likely to have unfavorable views of China as those with less education... (MORE - details)

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Australian writer charged with espionage in China
https://www.australiannews.net/news/2666...e-in-china

INTRO: Languishing in jail in China for almost two years, an Australian writer and democracy activist, Yang Hengjun, has been formally charged with espionage by Chinese prosecutors, paving the way for him to face trial. The 55-year-old Yang was arrested in January 2019, ABC News reported.

He is a former employee of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He later gained Australian citizenship and became a prominent writer and outspoken political commentator. In March 2020, officers from the Chinese Government's state security bureau began the process of charging Yang over an ill-defined espionage allegation but did not provide any information about what they accused him of doing... (MORE)

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'Really nasty' brush turkeys violently trying to breed with backyard chooks
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-12/b...s/12747364

EXCERPTS: Residents who turned to backyard chooks for eggs during the coronavirus pandemic are encountering a serious problem but are powerless to stop it under Queensland law. It's breeding season for brush turkeys and the protected native birds have set their sights on domestic hens. [...] Dr Jones said the turkeys were attracted to backyards and could be violent in their interactions with hens.

[...] When the pandemic hit earlier this year, demand for backyard chickens skyrocketed as panicked shoppers emptied supermarket shelves of eggs and other staples. Dr Jones said it could be upsetting for owners to see their chickens injured or traumatised, but there was little to no chance of the different species successfully mating. "It can be fairly distressing for the birds because they're much smaller," he said. Because they are a native species, brush turkeys can only be relocated by licensed operators.

Private animal controller Julieanne Ransby said she had received many requests for help. [...] Ms Ransby said despite reported attacks, she had also witnessed chickens and turkeys living in relative harmony, particularly if the birds had grown up together in the area. [...] Under Queensland law, it is illegal to move, injure or interfere with native wildlife, including the brush turkey... (MORE - details)

How to banish a brushturkey

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/n_Etk72gqfI

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Is Australia really seeing more shark attacks?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-54112992

EXCERPTS: . . . Not since 1929 - when there were nine fatalities - have there been so many. So is there something in the water, or is 2020 an anomaly?

What do the numbers show? Looking at the total number of shark attacks reported - fatal and non-fatal - this year doesn't necessarily stand out. There have been 21 incidents recorded so far this year [...] This is just above the average 20 attacks seen per year for the past decade, said curator Dr Phoebe Meagher. She contrasted this year's numbers with the "noticeable spike" of 2015, when there were 32 attacks - two of which were fatal.

[...] However, the number of deaths in 2020 is a record in modern times, and the highest since shark nets and other intended deterrents were introduced in the 1930s. Historically, dying from a shark bite is not common. In over a century of records, the shark attack mortality rate is 0.9 - less than one person per year.

Do we know why deaths are up? [...] In some cases, witnesses to attacks have reported seeing shoals of fish in the area - something that can attract sharks. Ultimately, though, much is made of luck and circumstance. ... "I don't think there's any clear factors which explain the fatalities - and part of that is because it's still a small number we're dealing with."

Could climate and environment be factors? Last year, Associate Prof Hart and his colleagues studied over a century of shark file data and temperature and rain records. They concluded that climatic and oceanographic forecasts could help suggest when and where attacks might be more likely to happen. The team identified potential weather triggers at hotspots like northern New South Wales, where two deaths have happened this year.

In that location the risk apparently peaked when there was significant rainfall. The rain would flush nutrients into the sea, creating a pocket of cooler, turbid water at river mouths and along the coast. "Such areas of the ocean are highly productive and sharks may be attracted by the abundance of fish or other prey, such as seals, that might follow the fish," Associate Prof Hart explained at the time.

[...] What about shark behaviour? ... Associate Prof Hart said they might bite for various reasons, such as lashing out at a threat, protecting territory, or confusing a human with food and "feeling their way" with their mouth. "Think about a surfer on a board," he said. "To a shark they look like a big, fat seal going through the water, very slowly in many cases."

Do sharks actually want to eat humans? Both he and Dr Meagher suspected that if humans were a desirable food source, many more bites would be reported. At any point in time, thousands of sharks are in the waters around Australia... (MORE - details)

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Rupert Murdoch privately predicts a landslide Biden win
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ruper...-biden-win

INTRO: Media magnate Rupert Murdoch has predicted privately that Democratic nominee Joe Biden will defeat President Donald Trump in the presidential election in a landslide victory, the Daily Beast reported Thursday. The Australian-born billionaire who has been an influential supporter of the President in the past has remarked to close associates that Trump is his own worst enemy, according to the Daily Beast. Murdoch suggested to at least three Daily Beast sources that Trump has handled the COVID-19 pandemic poorly and ignored advice on how to better manage it, which has created a never-ending crisis for his administration... (MORE)

[Syne]

Murdock's just pissed that Trump's been slamming Fox News. Just petty retaliation.

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Now you see it, now you don't: Hidden colours discovered by coincidence
https://phys.org/news/2020-10-dont-hidde...dence.html

INTRO: Scientists in Australia have stumbled across an unusual way to observe color that had previously gone unnoticed. [...] The findings, which have been published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials, have expanded our understanding of the behavior and properties of light, and could also have practical applications in sensing technology and security devices.

Most materials in the world around us appear a certain color because they only absorb part of solar spectrum. For example, leaves on a tree look green to us because they absorb red and blue light. However, some objects, animals and materials create color a different way, because of the properties they contain. These are known as structural colors [...] While those phenomena are well established, an unexpected new mechanism for creating similar effects has been uncovered... (MORE - details)

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Australian carp virus plan 'dead in the water'
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/news/a...lande.html

RELEASE: Plans to release a virus to reduce numbers of invasive Common Carp in Australia are unlikely to work and should be dropped, researchers say. Australian Government scientists have asked for approval to release Koi Herpesvirus (KHV) into the continent's largest freshwater supply to kill non-native carp.

The new study, by the University of Exeter and the University of East Anglia, demonstrates that Common Carp would evolve resistance to the virus and carp numbers would soon recover. Carp can cause ecological damage in large numbers by uprooting vegetation and increasing sediment in the water, with significant knock-on effects for other species in the ecosystem.

This means control is required -- but the study says releasing KHV is not the answer. "Viral biocontrol is highly questionable and, as our study shows, it is unlikely to reduce carp numbers in the long term," said Dr Jackie Lighten, of the University of Exeter. "Our modelling shows that even under the most optimal conditions for biocontrol, populations quickly recover. Releasing KHV carries significant risks to human and ecosystem health, which likely outweigh the benefits, and we have previously urged further detailed research to avoid an unnecessary ecological catastrophe. Based on our findings, we believe the plan to control Australia's carp with KHV is dead in the water."

Dr Lighten previously argued in the Australian Senate that the country's National Carp Control Program (NCCP) was omitting key areas of research from its work. A key component of this is computer simulation modelling to assess if the virus would effectively kill the fish in light of the genetic component of resistance to KHV, which resides in the global carp population.

Dr Katie Mintram, of the University of Exeter, said: "Modelling the epidemiology of proposed viral releases is essential for risk assessment and estimation of likely outcomes. "We built a simulation model which allowed us to examine realistic interactions among carp, virus and disease resistance, to estimate how long it would take carp populations to recover even if 95% of them were wiped out. We show that the biological characteristics of the carp, including their rapid breeding rates, allow infected populations to recover rapidly with individuals that are KHV resistant."

The authors modelled a "best-case scenario" for the virus to eradicate carp -- but the carp population still evolved resistance, making future outbreaks of the virus ineffective.

"The modelling strategy that we took is a very powerful way to assess how disease can spread among individuals within a population," said Professor Cock van Oosterhout, of the University of East Anglia. "It's an 'Individual Based Model', which is similar to those used by scientists around the world to understand and prevent the spread of Covid-19. It is widely accepted as the current gold standard in projecting disease outcomes but, worryingly, the NCCP chose to ignore this approach. Also, they didn't model the impact of disease resistance, which is crucial in understanding the epidemiology of infectious disease."

KHV appeared in European aquaculture (fish farming) facilities in the late 1990s and rapidly spread around the world, resulting in the deaths of millions of carp. Common Carp are among the world's most farmed fish for food, popular pets (Koi) and a prized fish for recreational angling. KHV has caused millions of dollars of damage worldwide.

Dr Lighten said: "We recommend that the Australian Government takes bold steps to significantly improve the health of its waterways, rather than releasing a potentially catastrophic virus into its ecosystems. Freshwater is in desperate shortage in large parts of Australia, so the first step must be to reduce the amount of water extracted for thirsty crops such as cotton. This would help to restore habitat for native species, thereby reducing habitat for carp. Proper governance is what's needed, rather than giving an unhealthy and fragile ecosystem a foreign virus, which could significantly tip the balance out of favour for native species."

Dr Lighten added: "If the current global Covid-19 pandemic has reminded of anything, it's that viruses are hard to predict and manage. It is madness that the release of a high pathogenic virus is being considered as one of the first steps to restore a damaged and fragile ecosystem. This is even more so, considering that very little progress has been made in reducing the volume of water extracted from the Murray-Darling Basin, which should be primary in restoring river health over releasing a pathogen that could have significant ecological repercussions."

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Australia to shift its naval presence from Middle East to Asia-Pacific, China
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/others...024025736/

INTRO: Amid growing Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, Australia has now announced its decision to shift its naval presence in the Middle East to Asia-Pacific and China. Quoting Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ABC News reported that Australia will no longer send a Royal Australian Navy ship to the Middle East every year. Further, the country will also withdraw from the US-led naval coalition patrolling the Strait of Hormuz at the end of 2020.

"This year alone has seen [the] Navy respond to the bushfire and COVID-19 crises, a five-ship deployment throughout South-East Asia and the Pacific, a continued commitment to initiatives under the Pacific Step Up, and several highly successful activities with our regional partners," Minister Reynolds said. "As a result, the Australian Defence Force will reduce its naval presence in the Middle East to enable more resources to be deployed in our region," the Minister added.

ABC News further said in its report that the shift was flagged in the government's recent Defence Strategic Update, which declared that deteriorating strategic circumstances would force the military to focus more sharply on the Indo-Pacific and Australia's immediate region. This comes days after India had announced the participation of Australia in the upcoming Malabar exercise alongside the US and Japan... (MORE)

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Any help for Australia? - Re-elected Trump will prioritise reducing global reliance on China, security adviser says
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/re-e...5685l.html

EXCERPTS: One of Donald Trump's top national security advisers says redressing the West's reliance on Chinese supply lines will be at the heart of the President's second-term agenda if he is re-elected, pointing directly to Australia's economic dependence on the country. Matt Pottinger, who is President Trump's deputy national security adviser, told the Westminster think tank Policy Exchange that the US views Australia and India as the "canaries in the coal mine" and on the frontline of dealing with China's increasingly aggressive stance [...] Donald Trump had led an emerging consensus on the need to push back against China, his deputy national security adviser said.

Pottinger delivered a lecture in Mandarin in which he urged the world to speak up about China's oppression of the Uighurs, saying there was "no credible justification in Chinese philosophy, religion, or moral law for the concentration camps", where it is estimated up to one million Muslims are held in Xinjiang province.

Pottinger answered a question posed by Policy Exchange Chair Alexander Downer, who asked what specific steps a re-elected Trump administration would take to help countries like Australia who were bearing the brunt of China's fury via tariff increases and threats of economic boycott. Pottinger said reducing reliance on China's supply lines was a key priority of the Trump administration, which this year helped to prevent UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson from including Chinese firm Huawei from building Britain's 5G network.

[...] As China overtook Japan to become Australia's largest trading partner in 2007, Australian MPs traditionally kept any criticisms of China to a minimum. However, Pottinger said that China's economic retaliation against Australia for having the "temerity" to seek an investigation into coronavirus had exposed that years of keeping quiet had failed to produce a better bilateral relationship.

"China retaliated by putting tariffs on Australian barley, cancelling beef exports and their arch propaganda said 'Australia is chewing gum stuck to the bottom of China's shoe and it's time to scrape it off'," he said. "So there you have a pretty good counter-argument to the notion that by being extra friendly to China and hiding some of our candour – the idea that that would lead to a happier bilateral relationship – just doesn't stand up."

A recent study by the Henry Jackson Society think tank, also based in London and which has led the debate on China in the UK, found that Australia was the most dependent on China for critical goods out of the Five Eyes countries. The Five Eyes is an elite intelligence-sharing network comprising Australia, the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada. [...] Recent Pew Research Centre polling revealed unfavourable views of China reached historic highs this year across 14 advanced economies with the highest dissatisfaction rating – of 81 per cent – recorded in Australia... (MORE - details)

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'I can't stand it': American expats in Australia on the agony of watching the US election campaign
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...n-campaign

In the weeks leading up to the 3 November election, US citizens living around the world have been casting their votes. In Australia, where between 200,000 to 300,000 US citizens live, interest in the US election has soared, with presidential debates broadcast live across most major TV stations. Guardian Australia spoke to several Americans living in Australia about their voting intentions and hopes for the upcoming election – and what it’s like living in a country that observes US politics as if it’s “a contact sport”.
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[...] A musician and mother of two who has lived in Australia for more than 20 years, Dianne describes herself as a lifelong Democrat, and has already voted for Joe Biden at the US consulate in Sydney. Dianne, who grew up in Virginia and most recently lived in Maryland, told the Guardian she has become “completely distressed” watching the Trump presidency from outside the country, particularly out of concern for her family who still live in the US. “This wasn’t the America I grew up with, and it’s deeply saddening to watch it deteriorate as much as it has.”

[...] Gun control in the US had become a real concern for Dianne. Before she moved to Australia, two of her first cousins were murdered by a gunman not known to them. “That’s just the way it is in America, that’s what it’s become,” she said, noting she has “never felt as safe walking the streets after work” as she does in Sydney.
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[...] As a Trump supporter living in Sydney, Ashley [originally from California, then Chicago] has had several uncomfortable conversations with people who assumed she would be voting against him. ... a man in the queue saw she was holding a postal ballot. “He told me to get my vote in because it was important to get Biden in office. I told him I was actually voting for Trump, and he just gave me this bizarre look. It’s entertaining how everybody here is so concerned. When people find out I’m American, they say ‘I bet you’re happy living here’, to escape Trump.”

[...She...] believes neither candidate in the election is perfect, and wishes Trump was “more polished” as president. However, she also voted for Trump in 2016. Ashley said she believed Trump had created new jobs for working-class Americans, and that many opposed to Trump do not acknowledge his appeal to middle America, who find it “refreshing” that he flouts traditional presidential stereotypes.

She also cites America withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal as a positive of his presidency, and believes the high coronavirus death rate in the US was mostly the responsibility of state governors and their state health systems...
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[...] Traditionally a Republican, Matt [originally from California] is not voting in the upcoming election because he thinks neither candidate deserves his vote. “You’re voting for the least of the worst, and the Republicans are just as bad as the Democrats this election. My view is, sure your vote matters, but it’s not worth voting from overseas, for all the red tape associated with it.”

Having moved to Sydney about 10 years ago, he thinks Australians have never been “as fevered” with a US election because of “the Trump circus”. “I hate it, I can’t stand it.”

While unable to escape talk of the election in Australia, he has become cautious about talking about it with relatives and friends in the US, fearing some have become Trump supporters. “He’s the leader of the nation and it’s become so separated. That’s his intention. And now people don’t talk to each other because of their political side. Life’s too short for that. I think he’s done a lot of great things for the economy, but he’s a jackass, a racist, an outright bigot and a womaniser.”
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[...] Exercising her Australian citizenship inherited from one of her parents, Aiden [from California] moved to Australia from California for cheaper university in 2015, because she was unable to secure financial aid from a university in the US that offered her a course. The 23-year-old, who has voted for Joe Biden, initially hoped Elizabeth Warren would win the Democratic nomination, and while she feels the party isn’t as progressive as it should be, it was important to vote in opposition to Trump.

Now working in the hydrogen energy sector on the outskirts of Melbourne, Aiden has noticed Australians becoming more engaged in the US election, but thinks Australians discuss US politics more generally as if it’s “a contact sport”. “It’s like watching theatre for them,” she says, noting that conversations in her workplace have become colleagues wanting to weigh in on “how crazy Trump is” and not engage with societal and policy issues... (MORE - details)

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We we want to live in an Australia where we don't have to choose between food and healthcare
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...healthcare

Bane Williams, 36, Adelaide, SA (excerpt): When the jobseeker coronavirus supplement was halved recently, I had to adapt. Instead of being able to afford both fresh food and medical care, I’ve had to prioritise which of those I’d need most each fortnight. But I’m still able to afford food in my belly and care for my body, even if it’s not the best quality. With the next $100 a fortnight cut at the end of December, that all changes.

Losing another $50 a week from the supplement will mean I go back to what it was like on Newstart. Do I eat or do I care for my health? I can afford one, not both [...] The social services minister, Anne Ruston, states this will “encourage people to re-engage with the workforce”, but the numbers just don’t add up. The fact is there just aren’t enough jobs to go around. ... All I’m asking for is a little humanity, an opportunity to exist in a world where I don’t need to decide between eating and health...
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Karen Perkins, 50s, Sydney (except): . . . I just wanted to cry when I heard the minister for social services on the radio this week saying that they need to cut the unemployment payment again so we have the incentive to look for work.

I had a great job 10 years ago as the personal assistant to the managing director of a small engineering company. I’ve got great skills – but for years now I’ve had real difficulties finding permanent work. The job market is highly competitive, especially when you’re in your 50s. I just get short-term contracts, then am unemployed again for months until I get another short-term contract.

[...] I’m very worried about going back into the stress of surviving on $51 a day – it will be just enough to cover my rent, food and possibly public transport. I will go back to struggling to cover ... bills ... forget about makeup or haircuts. I need prescription medication for migraines ... after December I know I’ll go back to having to choose between buying food and medicine.

Big and unexpected purchases will really stress me out. My washing machine hose is starting to leak now. I know that even if I got a no-interest loan to repair or replace it, it will be impossible to pay off on the hand-to-mouth jobseeker rate.

[...] When the supplement came through in March, I bought some clothes on sale – nice tops and pants so I can look presentable going to a job interview. After Christmas it will be like living in lockdown permanently. You have to stay home because you don’t have the money to socialise ... The thought of going back into that kind of isolation is heart-wrenching.

[...] I think it’s callous and cruel. There’s no justification for forcing people to live on just $51 a day. It doesn’t help us get a job, it just makes it even harder to compete.

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New Zealand Study Reveals The Complex Psychological Toll of Pandemic Lockdowns
https://www.sciencealert.com/new-zealand...-lockdowns

INTRO: While we're still not sure what the mental health toll will be, the World Health Organisation expects levels of loneliness, depression, harmful alcohol and drug use, and self-harm or suicidal behaviour to rise. Of all the nations in the world, New Zealand took some of the fastest and most drastic measures to COVID-19. And while this 'go early, go hard' strategy saved many lives and ultimately eliminated the virus, the successful measures also came with their costs – not just to the economy but also to public wellbeing.

Roughly halfway through New Zealand's toughest stage of lockdown, which lasted for 33 days, a public survey saw levels of stress, anxiety, and depression rise higher than normal, especially among younger people. Among the 2,010 respondents, nearly a third scored above the cut-off for moderate to severe psychological distress, and almost 40 percent said their level of wellbeing was low.

It's worth noting the study couldn't distinguish whether it was the lockdown itself that was causing the mental health effects or the broader threat of the pandemic, but it still shows a worrying trend. "New Zealand's lockdown successfully eliminated COVID-19 from the community, but our results show this achievement brought a significant psychological toll," says psychologist Susanna Every-Palmer from the University of Otago, Canada... (MORE)

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Can we control where lightning strikes?
https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/physi...g-strikes/

INTRO: Pioneering laser technology could be used to tame lightning and control where it strikes the ground, according to an international team of scientists. Dry lightning strikes ignited many of the devastating bushfires of Australia’s 2019-20 “black summer”, but if we could artificially control the path and direction of lightning, fire risk could be drastically reduced.

A new laser tractor beam technology, described in a paper in the journal Nature Communications, may be the answer. In a laboratory experiment, the team used a laser beam to trap and heat microparticles of graphene in the air between two metallic plates. This created a heated channel that induced lightning and allowed the electrical discharge to flow towards a pre-defined target.

“The experiment simulated similar atmospheric conditions to those found in real lightning,” says Vladlen Shvedov, co-author of the study from the Australian National University. “We can imagine a future where this technology may induce electrical discharge from passing lightning, helping to guide it to safe targets and reduce the risk of catastrophic fires.”

This idea is not a new one: previous research has used laser beams to create atmospheric electrical breakdown, but these attempts required industry-scale infrastructure... (MORE)

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Canada & UK ramp up pitch for migrants while Australia struggles to even get its own home
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-18/a...s/12876550

KEY POINTS: Australia's population growth has flattened and it will take years for migrants to come back in large numbers. Temporary migrants are locked out right now due to Australia's quarantine bottleneck. The migration program has been tweaked to give more "bang for buck", but that might not be a good thing.

INTRO: Australia's border controls may be trying to keep the virus out, but they are also hampering efforts to revive its stalled immigration program. Further hampering Australia's efforts are an expanded migrant intake in Canada and the UK's decision to make it easier for migrants to settle. The Minister responsible, Alan Tudge, earlier this month conceded that the coronavirus-induced fall in immigration would have "very significant economic consequences".

But it's the long term conundrum of how to reconnect to the world that could be Australia's biggest challenge. [...] Quarantine requirements have created a bottleneck at our borders. The Government expects to bring 27,000 Australians home by the end of the year, at around 7,000 per week. But there's not much room for overseas students — one of the country's biggest sectors — and temporary workers like Rohit. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday students would have to wait.

[...] In economic terms, Australia needs migrants to maintain local demand and help fill skills gaps. But migration has long influenced the country's social makeup and philosophical outlook. Gabriela D'Souza, senior economist at Committee for Economic Development of Australia, said the pandemic had given Australia a chance to take stock about how it was connected to the world. "I think it's also led to a bit of competition between countries for attracting that high level of talent," she said.

Other countries have already made their move. Canada increased its migrant intake from 350,000 to 400,000 in an announcement last month, while the UK — fresh from Brexit — has reduced the minimum salary for migrants by almost 30 per cent.

Canadian Minister of Immigration, Marco Mendicino, declared immigration was "essential" to getting through the pandemic, to short-term economic recovery and to long-term growth. "Canadians have seen how newcomers are playing an outsized role in our hospitals and care homes, and helping us to keep food on the table," Mr Mendicino said.

Both countries allow 14-day home isolation on arrival and both remain open to temporary visitors. Ms D'Souza said the UK was looking at a point-based system, in which migrants could apply for visas without job offers, to help calibrate their response. "It's a huge step for them and it states very clearly to the world their intention is to keep open to the world, whereas Australia's intention post pandemic even now has been a bit more muted," she said... (MORE)