Victorian FIFO worker cops $5000 fine after breaching quarantine to fly to Pilbara site
A Victorian fly-in, fly-out worker who flouted quarantine rules to fly to a Pilbara mine site hours after landing in Western Australia has been fined $5000 in court.
Fabian Michael D'Costa, a 49-year-old contractor for iron ore miner BHP, landed at Perth Airport from Victoria on July 3.
The man failed to self-isolate after landing in WA from Victoria in early July.Credit:Jacky Ghossein
Police said D'Costa was issued with a self-quarantine direction upon arrival as per border rules, which required him to isolate in suitable accommodation for 14 days.
But instead, the Geelong resident flew directly to a BHP mine site in the Pilbara where he started work without self-isolating.
The man was charged with one count of failing to comply with a direction by police and was ordered to isolate immediately by BHP.
A BHP spokeswoman said D'Costa had also tested negative for COVID-19, but the company had a zero-tolerance approach to quarantine breaches.
BHP screens all employees that fly up to its mine sites with testing and in-depth questionnaires but it relies on its workers to answer the questions in accordance with border control laws.
The man appeared in Newman Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was fined $5000 and ordered to pay $225 in legal costs.