FIFO workers under strict watch as mine work continues at McArthur River and Groote Eylandt

A MASS of fly-in fly-out workers have been exempt from the NT’s strict 14-day quarantine period as mine operations continue at McArthur River and Groote Eylandt

Glencore’s McArthur River zinc-lead-silver mine is still operating with about 400 fly-in workers on site.

A MASS of fly-in fly-out workers have been exempt from the NT’s strict 14-day quarantine period as mine operations continue at McArthur River and Groote Eylandt.

Glencore’s McArthur River zinc-lead-silver mine is still operating with about 400 workers on site from Darwin and interstate.

A company spokesman said the NT Chief Health Officer had exempted their workers from the Territory’s 14-day quarantine period after reviewing the mine’s detailed COVID-19 management plan.

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Primary Industry and Resources Minister Paul Kirby said he wanted to clear up some “harmful rumours” being spread in remote communities about FIFO workers.

Since the NT’s border lockdown, he said no FIFO worker have been allowed to travel to the NT without an approved COVID-19 management plan that was submitted by their employer.

“These plans must approved by the NT Chief Health Officer, and require the employer to prove strict measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of workers and the broader community,” he said.

The GEMCO manganese mine on Groote Eylandt has also received approval from the Chief Medical Officer to continue its FIFO operations.

Giant trucks at the GEMCO Groote Eylandt manganese mine.

A spokesman said the mine had put strict controls in place to ensure the safety of the local Indigenous community including health screening for FIFO workers.

Energy giant Santos will shut down its Tanumbirin oil and gas exploration well near the MacArthur River by mid April.

Origin has also temporarily paused gas exploration activities at Beetaloo Basin and scaled back to only having 45 employees on site.

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Canadian company Kirkland Lake Gold has closed both it’s Cosmo mine and Union Reefs processing plant near Pine Creek with about 250 workers stood down.

Newmont Corporation suspended exploration work at its Tanami gold project after the NT’s borders were closed.