NT Cattlemen’s Association calls for border pass system to be set up for pastoral sector
THE Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association is up in arms over a decision to remove the Department of Primary Industry and Resources from progressing COVID-19 applications, and says the NT Government should introduce a pass system like Queensland’s if it is not going to open its borders or ease restrictions.
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THE Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association is up in arms over a decision to remove the Department of Primary Industry and Resources from progressing COVID-19 applications.
NTCA chief executive officer Ashley Manicaros has questioned why DPIR, whose industry understanding has helped minimise the damage to the industry, would no longer have a key role in ensuring the applications put forward for exemptions and approvals, meet all of Health’s obligations to ensure the process ran smoothly.
He said DPIR has been removed meaning it will be a “lottery for approvals and timelines for the one sector which has managed to keep 10,000 people directly and indirectly employed”.
“The NT Government has barely managed to get on top of the delays, even with DPIR’s assistance and now this,” Mr Manicaros said.
“I don’t think it unreasonable to ask if the NT Government isn’t deliberately trying to make sure we suffer like other industries – why else would they make such a ridiculous decision?
“The pastoral sector has not been consulted on this change to determine the impact or to allay any concerns which may be generated because of this change. The $1.2 billion pastoral sector has also not been consulted on the development of the Green Paper or the Economic Reconstruction Committee.”
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Mr Manicaros said the NTCA welcomed the establishment of the Chief Minister’s Economic Reconstruction Commission after being one of five groups that asked for something to be established.
“However, at this point it is hard not to believe it will act quickly enough to get the 13,000 Territorians who will remain out of work after the end of June back to work,” he said.
Mr Manicaros said the Northern Territory Government should introduce a red and amber pass system like Queensland if it is not going to open its borders or ease restrictions to save jobs and keep people safe.
The Queensland system is a risk assessment, based on where the applicant is travelling from, where they have been in the last 14 days and whether they are employed in the Queensland agribusiness/commercial fishing industries.
Applicants must present evidence at the border to support their entry pass.
Their system provides a rapid response to applicants who enter their details online and receive a coloured entry pass via email almost automatically.
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Mr Manicaros said NTCA members who have travelled to Qld have given excellent feedback on the system.
“I would propose NT adopts a similar ‘risk assessed’ approach which would see these kinds of people from rural/remote areas of other states automatically able to enter the NT without the need for self- quarantine,” he said.
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