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Australia will get access to nuclear submarine technology as part of a landmark security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday announced the historic agreement, which also paves the way for Australia's $90 billion French submarine deal to be scrapped.

The new AUKUS trilateral security partnership will allow the three countries to share technology covering cyber security, artificial intelligence, underwater systems and long-range strike capabilities.

Over the next 18 months, Australia will investigate building a nuclear submarine fleet in partnership with the UK and US.

"We intend to build these submarines in Adelaide in close cooperation with the United Kingdom and the United States," Mr Morrison said.

"But let me be clear. Australia is not seeking to establish nuclear weapons or establish a civil nuclear capability.

"We will continue to meet all of our nuclear non-proliferation obligations."

Mr Morrison joined US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in making a joint statement confirming the pact.

"Today, we join our nations in the next generation partnership, built on a strong foundation of proven trust," Mr Morrison said.

"We have always seen the world through a similar lens.

"We have always believed in a world that favours freedom, that respects human dignity, the rule of law, the independence of sovereign states and the peaceful fellowship of nations."

In 2016, the federal government enlisted the French shipbuilder Naval Group to build a new submarine fleet to replace Australia's ageing Collins Class submarines.

The deal involved building 12 new submarines in Adelaide, with the first of the new vessels to enter service around 2035.

But the project has been hit by heavy delays and massive cost blowouts.

Federal cabinet ministers were summoned to a secret meeting in Canberra on Wednesday ahead of the announcement after being granted border exemptions to enter the ACT.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne are already in Washington for the 31st annual Australia-US Ministerial Consultations, or AUSMIN.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and three other members of his frontbench were also briefed on the sensitive matter.

Mr Morrison is due to travel to Washington next week for a meeting of the Quad alliance of the US, India, Japan and Australia.

with Reuters

© AAP 2021

Leaders from western and southwest Sydney have welcomed the NSW government's decision to end curfews in COVID-19 hotspot areas.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday said the call had been made possible by the state crossing the 80 per cent first-dose vaccination threshold.

It's the only restriction she plans to ease for the hotspot suburbs in the city's west and southwest for now, though.

"We need everybody to hold the line," she told reporters.

"We've seen a stabilisation in the last few days and we don't want to see that trend go the wrong way."

The decision to ditch the 9pm curfew came the day after the premier met with mayors of the 12 affected local government areas - though she did not warn them it was coming.

They thanked her for the respite.

Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown said she'd directly appealed to the premier to ease the curfew.

But she called for Ms Berejiklian to go a step further and reassess whether suburbs with low case numbers needed to be subject to heightened restrictions.

Similarly, Burwood's mayor John Faker said the lifting of the curfew was welcome relief, but it was "debatable" whether Burwood should even be on the hotspot list at all.

"The curfew was never about health, it was always an enforcement tool," Mr Faker said.

He said the premier's failure to warn the mayors the decision was coming demonstrated a "distaste (for) transparency and accountability throughout this whole crisis".

Liverpool mayor Wendy Waller said the government's decision showed it was listening but it had to do more to "stem the growing divide between the southwest and west and other parts of Sydney".

The government acknowledged when implementing the curfew that it would have minimal effect on COVID-19 transmission and was more useful as a tool for policing lockdown compliance.

The future of locked-down southwest and western Sydney was debated on Wednesday during a two-hour economic recovery summit hosted by the NSW opposition.

The summit heard that confusion and fear over vaccination rules and exposure risks are plaguing NSW businesses, who want more clarity.

Businesses also said they needed help designing and adhering to new COVID safe plans given the Delta strain's virulence.

The state reported 1259 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday.

The 12 deaths included a woman in her 30s, two people in their 50s, three people in their 60s, three people in their 70s, two people in their 80s and a man in his 90s.

It takes the death toll for the current outbreak to 198.

Ms Berejiklian made clear the government would hold firm and ban the unvaccinated from restored freedoms at 70 per cent.

"At 70 per cent we've been clear and extremely black and white ... it will be a health order and the law that if you're not vaccinated, you can't attend venues on the road map," she told reporters.

"We are going through compliance issues now (but) there is an onus on you as an individual to be vaccinated and it will depend on the size of the business.

"If you're not vaccinated, you can't go to a restaurant, to a cafe."

There are 1241 COVID-19 patients in NSW hospitals, with 234 in intensive care and 108 on ventilators.

Meanwhile, the Lismore area in the state's north is on high alert after a positive case was found in the area.

The person attended a school in Goonellabah on Monday, authorities say.

The northern rivers region has been released from lockdown since Friday.

© AAP 2021

NSW has crossed the 80 per cent COVID-19 first-dose vaccination threshold, prompting the removal of curfews in western and southwest Sydney's 12 local government areas of concern.

The state reported 1259 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday.

The 12 deaths included a woman in her 30s, two people in their 50s, three people in their 60s, three people in their 70s, two people in their 80s and a man in his 90s.

It takes the death toll for the current outbreak to 198.

NSW reached the 80 per cent first-dose vaccination milestone for those aged 16 and over late on Tuesday, enabling the government to remove the overnight curfew across western and southwest Sydney.

The government acknowledged when implementing the curfew that it would have minimal effect on COVID-19 transmission and was more useful as a tool for policing lockdown compliance.

It comes a day after Premier Gladys Berejiklian met with the 12 council areas' mayors and listened to their concerns.

However, all other restrictions will remain in place until 70 per cent double-dose coverage is reached in roughly mid-October.

"We can't move on anything else just now. We need everybody to hold the line," she said on Wednesday.

The 70 per cent milestone will trigger the restoration of numerous freedoms, including small indoor gatherings for the fully vaccinated.

Ms Berejiklian made clear the government would hold firm and ban the unvaccinated from restored freedoms at 70 per cent.

"At 70 per cent we've been clear and extremely black and white ... it will be a health order and the law that if you're not vaccinated, you can't attend venues on the road map," she told reporters.

"We are going through compliance issues now (but) there is an onus on you as an individual to be vaccinated and it will depend on the size of the business ... we know many small businesses are doing it tough so we are going through that compliance regime now.

"If you're not vaccinated, you can't go to a restaurant, to a cafe."

There are 1241 COVID-19 patients in NSW hospitals, with 234 in intensive care beds and 108 on ventilators.

Meanwhile, Australian Defence Force personnel have joined NSW Police in the Illawarra region to help with COVID-19 welfare and compliance checks as cases of the virus increase.

Authorities became concerned after the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District recorded 80 cases on the weekend and 17 on Monday.

The coastal area includes the state's third-largest city, Wollongong.

Soldiers are already helping police across western Sydney.

Additionally, the future of locked-down southwest and western Sydney was debated on Wednesday during a two-hour economic recovery summit hosted by the NSW Labor opposition.

The summit heard that confusion and fear over vaccination rules and exposure risks are plaguing NSW businesses, who want more clarity.

Businesses also said they needed help designing and adhering to new COVID safe plans given the Delta strain's virulence.

Elsewhere, the town of Young may also soon go into lockdown after a COVID-positive person travelled through the area, as well as Mudgee and Wagga Wagga. It comes after Yass returned to lockdown.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said she was seeking advice on the matter after COVID fragments were also detected in Young's sewage.

© AAP 2021