NT industry plea: ‘Fill flights with overseas workers if COVID puts India on hold’

Foreign workers should be allocated quarantine spaces at Darwin’s Howard Springs facility if flights from COVID-ravaged India are put on hold, say Territory industry representatives.

Foreign workers should be allocated quarantine spaces at Darwin’s Howard Springs facility if flights from COVID-ravaged India are put on hold, say Territory industry representatives. Picture: Che Chorley

• Four new cases, including a baby, test positive to COVID-19 at Howard Springs
• National cabinet to discuss India flights as Howard Springs grapples with 24 COVID-19 cases

FOREIGN workers from Bali, Vanuatu and Fiji should be allocated quarantine spaces at Darwin’s Howard Springs facility if international repatriation flights from COVID-ravaged India are put on hold.

Tourism and hospitality and farmers are united in the call for the Territory Government to put this proposition on the table with the Federal Government as COVID cases from arriving flights out of India into Darwin continue to rise at an alarming rate.

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In the past fortnight around 24 passengers arriving in Darwin on repatriation flights from India have tested positive to COVID sparking concerns about the quality of screening in India.

“Yes, people in the tourism industry are talking about it and, yes, there are concerns,” Tourism Top End general manager Glen Hingley said.

“The tourism industry is putting its faith in our Health department and AUSMAT to make sure that they are getting it right because there is so much at risk if something goes wrong.”

Hospitality NT chief executive officer Alex Bruce said the reduction in flights from India opens the door to turn attention to immediate problems in the Northern Territory.

“If they rip the hand brake on repatriation flights from India, rather than going down the list to the next lot of people waiting for flights from other COVID-safe countries, we would really like the NT workforce shortages to be considered — agriculture, aged care and tourism and hospitality,” Mr Bruce said.

“Places like Fiji, Vanuatu and, ultimately Bali, have many Australian and non-Australian former workers wanting to fill our worker shortages, who are willing to be vaccinated and go through quarantine there and then further quarantine here.

“How quickly can we start landing planes with critical workers like they have been doing in other states for workers from Fiji and Vanuatu?”

Mr Bruce said everyone appreciates the need to bring Australians home, and that the Territory has a role to play, however statistics paint a questionable picture.

“Statistics show that less than half the arrivals since January have been Australian citizens,” Mr Bruce said.

“If India goes off line then can we quickly stitch together a plane or two to bring overseas workers in to fill a critical need in our workforce?”

NT Farmers chief executive Paul Burke said quarantine facilities need to be found in the Northern Territory to accommodate seasonal workers.

“Howard Springs has been used very successfully and the question of government considering making space available for overseas workers if India is put on hold, is a worthwhile conversation,” he said.

“It is something we would be excited to talk with government about.”