A National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC) is to be established to coordinate advice to the Government on efforts to manage the effects of the pandemic.
Announced by the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, the Commission is to be charged with ensuring decision makers received the most comprehensive advice to cushion the economic impact of COVID-19 and aid Australia’s recovery.
“This is about working cooperatively across private-to-private and public-to-private networks to unlock resources, break bottlenecks and fix problems so Australian families, businesses and communities are supported through the challenging months ahead,” Mr Morrison said.
He said the chair of the NCCC would be Perth businessman Neville Power who would be supported by an Executive Board of Commissioners.
“They will advise me on all non-health aspects of the pandemic response and will work in tandem with the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Brendan Murphy, who continues to lead the Commonwealth’s health response,” the Prime Minister said.
“The National Cabinet, comprising State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers, continues to lead the national response at a Government level,” he said.
“The National Security Committee of Cabinet’s COVID-19 Taskforce and the Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet continue to take decisions that determine the Commonwealth’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.”
Mr Morrison said the NCCC was about mobilising a whole-of-society and whole-of-economy effort so Australia could come through “this unprecedented health crisis”.
“The Commission will assist the Government to ensure all resources are marshalled to this vital task in a coordinated and effective manner.”
He said the NCCC would be housed within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
