‘We had to do something before it’s too late’: Central Land Council offering its 200 staff $500 cash to get the Covid-19 vaccine

THE Central Land Council is offering its employees a cash incentive of $500 to get the Covid-19 jab, after discovering there was a very low uptake among staff.

CLC chief executive Lesley Turner said ‘it would be a disaster’ if his employees contracted Covid-19. Picture: John Feder/The Australian.

THE Central Land Council (CLC) is offering all its employees, the majority of whom are Indigenous, a cash incentive of $500 to get the Covid-19 jab.

It’s believed to be the first NT business or organisation to offer a financial payment to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

CLC chief executive Lesley Turner said the organisation began offering the incentive due to a lack of government awareness campaigns targeted at Aboriginal people.

“We had to do something before it’s too late and we get community transmission of the highly infectious Delta strain here in the Territory,” he said. “We wanted to encourage a higher uptake of vaccinations in our remote communities because our Aboriginal health services tell us the vaccine uptake has been very patchy.”

Mr Turner said when the cash campaign kicked off five weeks ago, just two per cent of his 200 employees were vaccinated.

He said that figure has now spiked to almost 100 employees, which includes elected Aboriginal councillors and executive members.

Mr Turner said he hoped the inducement to sign up for the Covid-19 inoculations would have a flow on effect for those thinking twice about getting the jab.

“We wanted to show those who are still hesitating that their elected representatives are leading the way, with no ill-effects from the jabs,” he said.

“The payment also recognises people for taking an action that protects not just themselves from hospitalisation or death but all those around them, so it’s a reward for being responsible, caring and civic-minded.”

The CLC, which is partly funded by the Commonwealth, consists of an elected body y working mostly across remote regions to provide community representation and to manage Aboriginal-owned land.

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As the nation’s vaccination rate trickles over 15 per cent, cash incentives for Aussies who get the jab has become a moot point in recent days.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on Monday proposed the Commonwealth dish out $300 to every Australian who gets fully vaccinated by December 1.

Pointing to newly commissioned research, Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected the idea, instead flagging non-financial incentives such as providing discounts and frequent flyer points as a more likely pathway.

Around the world, countries are getting creative in how they encourage constituents to protect themselves against Covid-19 and tackle vaccination hesitancy.

In Moscow, authorities are giving away five cars a week in a prize draw for those who get vaccinated, while Londoners who roll up their sleeves have the chance to win tickets to the Euro 2020 soccer Championship final.

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Originally published as ‘We had to do something before it’s too late’: Central Land Council offering its 200 staff $500 cash to get the Covid-19 vaccine