Revealed: How the Territory - and Australia - avoided a Covid catastrophe during Tanami mine outbreak

A critical health expert has revealed how Darwin and the nation escaped a disaster — the effects of which could still be ongoing today — when the Tanami gold mine went into critical lockdown in June.

THE National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre medical director Dianne Stephens has told how Darwin and the nation escaped a disaster – the effects of which could still be ongoing today – when a Tanami gold mine went into critical lockdown in June.

Dr Stephens told how a 2am phone call to the operators of the mine, Newmont, broke the news that one of their workers had tested positive for the deadly Delta strain.

The mine in the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory went into critical lockdown in June. Picture: Supplied

“What happened next is why we didn’t have a major catastrophe … this single action done at a critical point in time saved the Northern Territory and probably the country,” Dr Stephens said.

“Newmont closed the mine down immediately. At 2am in the morning. All 700 workers were confined to their rooms. There were subsequently another two positive cases identified, who, had the immediate lockdown not happened, would have mixed, and with the Delta variant we know that would have meant dozens of more cases across the mine.

“It would have impacted as a major outbreak they may well have still been going.”

Dr Stephens told a Darwin Mining Club luncheon that it was important to reflect on what Newmont did with no questions asked.

“There was no board meetings held, there was no ‘can we afford to do this?’ That absolute critical response is what saved the day,” she said.

Dr Stephens was joined on stage by Newmont Australia health, safety and security senior director Andrew Golembka.

Mr Golembka said the experiences and lessons learned from the Tanami Covid crisis had attracted industry attention, in particular the conversion of the mine site into a “pop-up” quarantine facility.

Mr Golembka detailed the steps Newmont had put in place in response to the crisis.

“The ration packs is something the industry is now alert to,” he said.

“Our kitchen went down so you can imagine feeding so many people with all sorts of dietary needs.

“So if we had ration packs that is something that would have given us a little bit of time to get our act together.”

PCR Covid testing has been introduced and cleaning equipment and supplies are kept at the ready.

On-site safety buffer zones have also been identified for future use.

Originally published as Revealed: How the Territory - and Australia - avoided a Covid catastrophe during Tanami mine outbreak