Christmas Island quarantine: Mark McGowan urges Federal Government to accept skilled workers plan

Mark McGowan has urged the Commonwealth to accept his government’s “not unreasonable” proposal to re-open Christmas Island to quarantine skilled agricultural workers from Europe. The plan would see between 300 and 900 vaccinated farm machinery operators and combine drivers from northern Europe jetted to Christmas Island on chartered flights to help harvest what is forecast to be a record 20 million tonne grain crop. As revealed by The West Australian, the McGowan Government yesterday lodged a formal proposal with Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud. “We've made exceptions for the seasonal workforce out of Vanuatu and Tonga to come into hotel quarantine here,” Mr McGowan said. “Obviously out of Europe, (COVID) is much bigger, they've got infections there - Tonga and Vanuatu don’t. “That's why the Agriculture Minister has suggested Christmas Island. Get some of the people who can operate the equipment for the harvest in and help our farmers. I just urge the Commonwealth to look at that, I mean I don't think it's an unreasonable ask.” Opposition agriculture spokesman Colin de Grussa said re-opening Christmas Island would be a “step in the right direction” but that time was running out ahead of the grain harvest starting in around month’s time. Mr de Grussa also said at least 1000 skilled machinery operators were required — above the 900 at the top end of the proposal — and that the government had faced the exact same issue last year and should be better prepared. “My concern with Christmas Island is it is a long way away, so that adds a tremendous cost, and it also doesn’t have a tertiary hospital in case there are infections among the European workers,” he said. He pointed to the incentives being offered to lure overseas healthcare workers — including covering flights, relocation costs and hotel quarantine bills — and questioned why the government was not working harder to boost the agricultural workforce. “Hotel quarantine is tricky, the government keeps saying it is at capacity and the workers need to be coming in above the cap,” Mr de Grussa said. “Industry is really keen to find a solution. Depending on where the workers are come from, if they are vaccinated it could be possible for farm or remote quarantine to be considered.” He said he had spoken to companies that build mining camps and that a 500-bed facility could be operational “in a month”. “You have a window to harvest and if you miss that opportunity it costs you more every day,” Mr de Grussa said. “Usually you would expect harvest to start in late September so we are clearly at the sharp end of the wedge on something that is not a new issue.”