Local residents have unanswered questions about the safety and security of the Grantham seasonal workers quarantine facility

Grantham residents are angered they weren’t consulted about a quarantine hub opening in their rural town, which is currently hosting 160 international seasonal workers.

A letter in the mailbox notifying Grantham would become a quarantine hub for hundreds of seasonal workers is the least that could have been done to inform locals, Grantham residents have said.

Instead, residents found out via the Gatton Star that their local Farmworker Lodge had turned into a quarantine hub for 160 overseas workers arriving from the Pacific Island.

Grantham local Sue Muir has a series of unanswered questions about safety and protocols but doesn’t understand why jobs are going to overseas workers.

“If there’s a million unemployed Australians, why are we bringing in 160 people?” she said.

Ms Muir, who works in the health industry, is worried about the Grantham population, with many of the residents of an elderly age.

She said a letter box drop notifying locals is the least that should have been done, especially to calm worried residents.

“Nobody has been consulted about it. It’s all been done very secretly because everyone would have said ‘no way’,” Ms Muir said.

“Even if we didn’t get a say, we should have been informed before it happened.”

Grantham main street. Photo: Ali Kuchel

The 160 seasonal workers arrived in Grantham on Friday night after touching down at Brisbane airport from the Solomon Islands.

The new arrivals are a fraction of the 1643 seasonal workers who have already landed in the country from low COVID-transmitted countries.

A department of agriculture and fisheries spokesman said in the future, more groups could be quarantined at the facility.

The spokesman said quarantining of workers at Grantham was conducted under the chief health officer-approved international quarantine plan.

Under that plan, those in quarantine are tested at least twice during their stay and receive daily health checks.

As of Wednesday morning, none of the seasonal workers have shown any signs of illness, and there have been no security breaches.

Another Grantham resident, who wished not to be named, believed the Farmworkers Lodge was a “tester” for future projects.

“Nobody knew. We can’t do anything about it because they need the pickers,” the resident said.

Senior resident Frances Arndt, who lived in Grantham during the 2011 floods, wasn’t concerned about the quarantine hub.

“It doesn’t really bother us because we have had our first COVID vaccine anyway and we have had no side affects from it.

“I guess some from the community would be scared, it doesn’t take much.

“But If we don’t get food on our table, our vegetable prices will go up as well.”