State government agency launches last-minute recruitment drive for staff to work at the border after December 15

A last-minute recruitment drive for border and biosecurity staff is simply to bolster the workforce, the Premier says, but Labor attacked the late move as “just not good enough”. LATEST >>

THE state government insists there are enough workers to staff Tasmania’s borders from next week, despite an urgent external recruitment blitz and a last-minute call-out to staff of government agencies to put their hand up.

Staff in an least one government department were sent an email this week, saying assistance was needed in the short-term via deployment of staff for a period of six weeks.

Meanwhile, a recruitment agency advertised for candidates for biosecurity officers, a last-minute drive reportedly for as many as 60 roles.

But Premier Peter Gutwein denied there was a shortage of staff.

“What we’re doing is noting that we’re moving into a busy period and a period where we’ll obviously see some people take holidays,” he said.

“We’re just ensuring that we’ve got a bolstered workforce through that, so we’re not short.”

Premier Peter Gutwein at Friday’s Covid update. Picture: Chris Kidd

But Labor MP Sarah Lovell said the last-minute recruitment indicated a lack of preparedness.

“I don’t know what has happened, did somebody forget to recruit staff? It absolutely beggars belief,” she said.

Ms Lovell said the biosecurity rules were critical to the state’s defence against Covid-19.

“We know that they’ve emailed public sector workers across a number of departments, looking for people to come in over the summer period and work in those roles,” she said.

“We know there’s external recruiting underway through a recruitment agency for 60 biosecurity officers to commence right now, immediately.

“This gives only a very short number of days to enable those staff to be trained adequately and to provide accurate information to people coming into the state, and it’s just not good enough.”

Biosecurity Tasmania said it was recruiting staff to provide further capacity to the core border operations team.

Nominate Friday, train Monday: Last-minute border staff SOS

WORKERS in at least one government agency are being urged to put their hand up to fill a shortfall in biosecurity staff in a last-minute recruitment blitz before Wednesday’s state border reopening.

In an email to staff within a government department, the agency says given the tight timeframes, assistance was needed in the short-term via deployment of staff which would likely be for six weeks.

Nominations were to be submitted no later than noon this Friday, December 10 and training and induction would happen on Monday, December 13, two days before the border reopens.

Mock up trial run for changes to arrivals at Hobart Airport for December 15, Biosecurity Tasmania check-in. Picture: Chris Kidd

It comes as a recruitment company also launches a search for staff to work in biosecurity roles at Hobart Airport, with an “urgent start required”.

In the department email, seen by the Mercury and believed to have been sent earlier this week, staff were sought at Hobart, Launceston and Devonport.

“These roles are a very high priority for not only the department and government, but the Tasmanian community,’’ the email said.

Meanwhile, recruitment company Hays has advertised for three-month contract roles for border biosecurity officers, saying an urgent start was required.

Successful applicants would be required to work weekends, public holidays and days over the Christmas period.

Labor workplace relations spokeswoman Sarah Lovell.

Labor workplace relations spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said the government was leaving preparation for reopening borders to the last minute.

“It’s extremely worrying and really unacceptable that the Liberals have only in the past week started asking workers across the State Service to put their hands up to monitor the borders at Tasmania’s three major airports,’’ she said.

“It’s even more unbelievable that they will not be trained until next Monday — two days before the borders reopen.

“We have known for some time that our critical biosecurity staff are under-resourced and stretched to the limit — so why has such an important element of Tamania’s frontline in Covid prevention and preparedness been left until the 11th hour?”

Biosecurity Tasmania said it was recruiting staff to provide further capacity to the core border operations team.

“This is not unusual and is a normal part of rolling recruitment efforts that happens regularly to manage peak periods at the borders and to ensure backup staff are available to cover periods of staff absences including unplanned leave,’’ a spokeswoman said.

“However, to be clear, there will be sufficient staff available ahead of December 15.

“In relation to the internal request for staff to volunteer for border team leader roles this was about providing even more support to the border operation team, it is up to individual staff if they want to put their hand up to undertake this work.”

When asked about an email sent to a government department to fill staffing shortages at the border, Premier Peter Gutwein said he hadn’t seen it.

“I haven’t seen that email so I can’t comment on that particular piece, but we’ve been hiring on an ongoing basis workers in terms of those positions as we’ve progressed through Covid,’’ Mr Gutwein said.

“I’d need to understand whether or not that’s filling existing positions that have been made vacant or whether or not it’s providing additional support as we move through the Christmas period.”

Mock up trial run for changes to arrivals at Hobart Airport for December 15, Biosecurity Tasmania check-in. Picture: Chris Kidd

Last week, the process that arrivals at Tasmanian air and sea ports would have to go through after December 15 was revealed, including the rolling out of scanning stations at which travellers would have to scan a unique QR code generated through the Tas e-Travel process.

Further comment has been sought from the government.

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Originally published as State government agency launches last-minute recruitment drive for staff to work at the border after December 15