The Emily Bay Bridge will reopen to all traffic on Saturday, 19 December, following its temporary closure while urgent safety works were completed.

The repairs to the historic structure are now in their final stages and it will reopen to the community and visitors from 7am on Saturday. The bridge will once again be safe for usual traffic and use, including for regular passenger vehicles, small trucks and buses.

Thank you for your patience during this short-term closure while these necessary works were undertaken.

I am pleased to announce the new service provider for Norfolk Island's workers" compensation arrangements is Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Limited, following an open tender process.

From 1 July 2016, the local workers" compensation scheme, has been delivered by Norfolk Island Regional Council (the Council) on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.

Local residents with diabetes will pay a lot less for their diabetes products, with the Burnt Pine Pharmacy now registered as a National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) Access Point on Norfolk Island.

The NDSS is an Australian Government initiative, administered with the assistance of Diabetes Australia, to enhance the capacity of people with diabetes to understand and self manage their life with diabetes, and help them have access to services, support and subsidised diabetes products.

The independent review of tourism in the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) is progressing well with open consultations to take place on Christmas Island (CI) next week.

The importance of bringing travellers back to Norfolk Island is well understood.

Air New Zealand, with Australian Government support, is committed to continuing to deliver critical passenger and freight services to Norfolk Island.

This commitment has been clearly demonstrated through the Government's ongoing provision of services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Air New Zealand currently provides two passenger flights arriving on Norfolk Island each week, one from Sydney and one from Brisbane.

Due to a significant increase in passenger demand, I am pleased to announce the Australian Government is supporting an additional return flight between Brisbane and Norfolk Island commencing 10 December 2020. 

Air New Zealand currently provides four passenger flights arriving on Norfolk Island each week, two from Sydney and two from Brisbane, with an additional flight between Sydney and Norfolk Island having commenced 9 November. 

The additional flight will arrive on Norfolk Island from Brisbane on Thursdays.

Following much-needed rain on Norfolk Island, the Army water purification and desalination system which has been providing water supplies for the past month will conclude operations by 13 March.

Due to a significant increase in demand for freight to Norfolk Island, I am pleased to announce the Australian Government is supporting an additional freight flight to Norfolk Island on 24 December 2020.

TOLL air freighters are currently arriving on Norfolk Island, on average, every 14 days. 

Air freighters are also scheduled to arrive on 18 and 19 December, so this will see three air freighters arriving on Norfolk Island in the week before Christmas.

I am pleased to announce the Australian Government is supporting an additional flight between Norfolk Island and Sydney, with the new schedule commencing 9 November.

Air New Zealand currently provides three passenger flights arriving on Norfolk Island each week, one from Sydney and two from Brisbane, with an additional flight from Brisbane having commenced on 13 October.

The additional flight from Sydney will arrive on Norfolk Island on Mondays, supplementing the existing Friday flight.

Community consultations on the initial design concepts for the Norfolk Island Multipurpose Health Services Facility (MPHS) project are set to commence from 11 September.

GHD Pty Ltd, the design services contractor engaged by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (the department), initiated the design process by engaging with stakeholders in two stages.