Anger grows over continuing overseas boat arrivals in Darwin amid Covid pandemic

Angry users of the Mandorah ferry have blasted the NT government for ‘sitting on its bum’ and not taking more action to get a new designated arrival point for yachts sailing into Darwin from overseas during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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ANGRY users of the Mandorah ferry have blasted the NT government for “sitting on its bum” and not taking more action to get a new designated arrival point for yachts sailing into Darwin from overseas during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ferry users were not happy with the response by Health Minister Natasha Fyles to concerns about the arrival at Cullen Bay ferry pontoon of two boats from Indonesia this week and a third two weeks ago, which saw its skipper test positive for Covid-19 and a Darwin resident, who had contact with him, put into 14 day quarantine.

The continued use of the public pontoon at Cullen Bay for international boats has been labelled a Covid disaster waiting to happen.

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Health Minister Fyles pointed to the federal government saying the Marina is the Commonwealth gazetted pontoon for international arrivals.

“Options for international ships to dock at other areas are being considered, but this would take time due to the requirement for a location to be gazetted by the Commonwealth Government,” she said.

“Strict protocols are in place and all arrivals must complete 14 days of mandatory quarantine. All arrivals have been correctly processed by health authorities.”

However ferry users say the protocols are not tight enough saying they have witnessed those, who have arrived on boats, interacting with the public.

A yacht from overseas that sailed into Cullen Bay in recent weeks, tied up at the public pontoon. Picture: Gary Shipway

“Putting it into the too hard basket by saying it is a Commonwealth responsibility just makes my blood boil,” one traveller told the NT News.

“I got that answer from the Centre for Disease Control.

“It’s the NT government’s job to do everything it can to protect the lives of Territorians.

“The NT government needs to stop sitting on its bum and get onto the federal government and get it fixed.

“They took just a few hours to make a decision about an ‘urgent’ grandstand, but this boat arrival problem has been around for ages.”