NT could welcome 20,000 repatriated Aussies after federal government quadruples funding to more than $200m

THE NT could be the gateway for more than 20,000 stranded Australians under an upsized multimillion-dollar deal with the commonwealth government to quarantine international arrivals.

THE Northern Territory could be the gateway for more than 20,000 stranded Australians under an upsized multimillion-dollar deal with the commonwealth government to quarantine international arrivals.

The bilateral repatriation deal, originally worth up to $54.7m to the NT government, has also been quadrupled to $243.7m with a new expiration date of December 2021.

Under the original deal announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in October, up to 500 Australians were due to be housed at the NT’s Howard Springs quarantine facility per fortnight until the end of March 2021.

But in late December both governments agreed to strike a new deal and increase the fortnightly capacity at Howard Springs to 850 repatriated Australians.

A Qantas repatriation flight touches down at RAAF Base Darwin on October 23, 2020. Picture: Lisa McTiernan/Getty Images

MORE COVID-19 NEWS

NT government’s Territory Check In app used more than 700,000 times since launch

Howard Springs quarantine facility to increase international capacity to 850 per fortnight within weeks

Brisbane travellers rejoice at early release from Howard Springs

The increased capacity and extended contract date could see the NT care for more than 20,000 repatriated Australians by the end of 2021, up from the 5000 arrivals flagged by the Prime Minister when the deal was first announced.

There are still about 37,000 Australians overseas who want to come home according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The capacity of Howard Springs is set to increase from 500 people per fortnight to 850 through a “staged ramp up over January 2021 and May 2021” according to government documents.

An aerial view of Darwin's Howard Springs Quarantine Facility. Picture: Supplied/ NT Health

The document also revealed the commonwealth has set aside up to $243.7m to cover the costs incurred by the NT government, including staff, security, equipment and necessary infrastructure upgrades at the quarantine facility.

The bilateral agreement states that infrastructure costs covered by the deal are limited to the accommodation blocks for repatriated Australians and medical facilities, and that “this will include any necessary upgrades to kitchen facilities and a cyclone shelter”.

NT NEWS sizzling new deal: Get all your news for just $5 a month

The commonwealth, in the document, specifically makes clear the money cannot be used to upgrade the pool at the Howard Springs facility, known as the Centre for National Resilience, though the gym and playgrounds are within scope.