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QUESTION ON NOTICE

Question:

22 February 2022

12. If there is a state of emergency why are large sporting events such as the cricket allowed to take with large crowds in attendance? 13. On what grounds did the health minister again rollover the state of emergency given sporting events are allowed to take place and state governments are continually overestimating the true impact of Covid? 14. How much longer with the state of emergency go for? 15. What is the criteria around which the health minister determines a state of emergency is necessary?

Answer:

Question Number: 183
PDR Number: SQ22-000095
Date Submitted: 22/02/2022
Department or Body: Department of Health

12. The size and conditions on sporting event operators held in Australian jurisdictions is a matter for those jurisdictions.

13. The human biosecurity emergency period was extended from 17 February 2022 to 17 April 2022 based on advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer. The main reasons for the extension to April were due to the severe human health risk posed by the Omicron variant, and to protect remote communities in the Northern Territory from COVID-19.

14. The current human biosecurity emergency period will lapse on 17 April 2022.

15. Section 476 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 outlines the criteria the Health Minister must consider to extend the human biosecurity emergency period. Section 476 provides:

(1) The Governor-General may vary a human biosecurity emergency declaration to extend the human biosecurity emergency period for a period of up to three months if the Health Minister is satisfied that:

(a) the declaration listed human disease is continuing to pose a severe and immediate threat, or is continuing to cause harm, to human health on a nationally significant scale, and

(b) the extension is necessary to prevent or control:

(i) the entry of the declaration listed human disease into Australian territory or a part of Australian territory, or
(ii) the emergence, establishment or spread of the declaration listed human disease in Australian territory or a part of Australian territory.

(2) A variation made under subsection (1) is a legislative instrument, but section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislation Act 2003 does not apply to the variation.

(3) The Governor-General may extend a human biosecurity emergency period under subsection (1) more than once.

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