1100+ bills from Howard Springs, Alice Springs quarantine stays yet to be paid

The government has handed over details of those who haven’t paid for their stays at Howard Springs and Alice Springs’ quarantine camps to debt collectors. SEE HOW MUCH THEY OWE.

DEBT collectors are chasing over 1000 people who owe millions in unpaid invoices for quarantining at the Howard Springs or Alice Springs facilities.

Data released by NT Health shows the government has billed people $36.4m since the pandemic began in March 2020.

This is across the Howard Springs Quarantine Facility and Alice Springs Quarantine Facility, the latter of which was recently shut down.

On Saturday it was revealed the Howard Springs’ “gold standard” Centre for National Resilience would also be mothballed as the pandemic came to a close.

In a statement, an NT Health spokeswoman said debt collectors would chase up to $6.6m worth of unpaid invoices. In other words, of every $7 invoiced, $1 remains unpaid to the NT government.

As of March 31 2022, the NT government said debt collectors had been referred to chase up 1169 invoices.

The spokeswoman said that’s out of a total of 14,701 quarantine fee invoices handed out since the pandemic began.

“People unable to pay the total amount in one transaction may do so under a payment plan, and reminders are sent advising of any outstanding amounts,” the spokeswoman said.

“If a customer does not make contact with the Northern Territory Government regarding payment or make any contributions towards their invoice and all avenues to assist the customer have been exhausted, the invoice is referred to debt collection.”

Close contacts and Covid-positive persons are not required to pay for their stays at Howard Springs.

Arrivals into the NT from overseas and some interstate locations were required to isolate in Howard Springs for two weeks during the height of the pandemic. Picture: Che Chorley

“Only people who need quarantine due to border entry requirements must pay a statutory fee,” the spokeswoman said.

Despite $36.4m in invoices given out by the NT government people being no chump change, the figure is less than a tenth of what the Territory is being paid by the federal government to operate the Howard Springs quarantine facility.

Canberra gave $513.5m to the NT government to operate Howard Springs as part of a repatriation program during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Saturday, the NT News revealed as few as four people were currently isolating at the facility, despite having a total capacity of over 2000.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles announced earlier this year that the Todd Facility in Alice Springs would close. Picture: Floss Adams.

The facility employs 249 staff as part of NT Health.

An NT government spokesman on Friday said the centre was only being used by a “handful” of people.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles recently announced the Todd Facility in Alice Springs, which was also used as a quarantine facility, was being returned to private ownership, potentially as a hotel.

Howard Springs quarantine to close

THE Territory Government is planning to mothball the Howard Springs quarantine facility as resident flows slow to a trickle and alternative centres are built interstate.

The NT News understands there have been as few as four residents at the so-called Centre for National Resilience (CNR) in recent weeks, although the government has declined to state the exact number.

Nor has the Government identified how much of the $513.5m the Commonwealth put on the table to run the centre has actually been spent.

Under the lucrative agreement struck with the Commonwealth, the Territory Government was given sole management of the centre in May, 2021 and capacity was changed from about 850 to 2000.

Described as the “gold standard” of national quarantine facilities, the Commonwealth covered the costs the NT Government incurred in running or upgrading the facility including staff, security, equipment and infrastructure upgrades.

The Howard Springs facility has been described as the “gold standard”. Picture: Danielle Chloe.

The NT News understands the Territory Government was prepared to make the centre available to refugees displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine although that offer has not been taken up by the Commonwealth yet.

A Territory Government spokesperson confirmed plans to shut down the centre but alternate uses or plans for the centre are being kept under wraps.

“The Centre for National Resilience remains a quarantine facility,” the spokesperson said. “There are currently a handful of residents at the facility and this number continues to fluctuate.

“NT Health allocates resources as required to respond to Covid-19, including staffing to meet the requirements of CNR.”

There are 249 NT Health staff employed at the centre in total.

“Under an agreement with the Commonwealth staff employed by the centre are able to work in other areas across NT Health and are recalled to the site as required,” the spokesperson said.

“The CNR has been a valuable resource in both the Northern Territory and Australia’s response to Covid.

“Planning is underway regarding site utilisation as the Territory moves towards transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic.

“The repatriation program, which commenced in October, 2020, has operated within the allocated budget of $513.5m.”

Originally published as 1100+ bills from Howard Springs, Alice Springs quarantine stays yet to be paid