Twiggy Forrest stepped up today.
Additionally our government is chartering cargo planes so that we can get perishable goods to market, now that passengers jets which would normally carry it are grounded. The return flight will be carrying medical supplies.
Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest will spend millions of dollars on procuring medical supplies and equipment to help Australia through the COVID-19 pandemic.
His philanthropic organisation Minderoo Foundation and Fortescue Metals Group, which he founded and chairs, are chartering three aircraft from China to deliver more than 90 tonnes of medical supplies to Perth this week.
It includes more than one million face masks, 400,000 surgical masks, 2.3 million medical-grade gloves, 100,000 nasal swabs, 200,000 medical coveralls, 10,000 medical goggles, 5000 touchless thermometers and more than 30 intensive care unit-grade ventilators.
Mr Forrest plans to outlay $160 million but if the protective equipment is found to be fit for purpose, it will be sold at cost to state and federal governments.
Emergency government-funded flights will send $800million worth of seafood to Asia in a bid to keep Australian exporters alive during the coronavirus crisis.
The freight planes are part of a $170million exporter support package and will return with vital medical supplies and equipment to help Australia fight against COVID-19.
Two hundred flights will leave for China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates in the next six months under the deal as borders across the world are shut to slow the spread of the disease.
