How Christmas Island could be used as a quarantine facility to get skilled workers into Australia amid country's dire labour shortage - but the WEATHER could halt the plans
- Federal government considering Christmas Island to quarantine skilled workers
- Idle cruise ships and Howard Springs near Darwin are other possible options
- Australia's mining and agricultural industries are experiencing labour shortages
- The closure of international borders had left the country short of workers
- A possible conflict may arise with returning citizens stranded overseas
Australia's chronic shortage of skilled workers amid the Covid pandemic may be addressed by quarantining overseas labour on Christmas Island.
The plan for the workers to undertake their quarantine period on the island before entering Australia was being considered by the Department of Home Affairs and might be in operation by January next year, Sky News Australia reported.
Idle cruise ships, other Commonwealth properties and the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory were other options reportedly being considered to alleviate the nation's labour shortage.
'There is literally, tragically, millions and millions of dollars each week around the country that is wasting on vines, on trees, because they just can't pick that fruit and get that produce to market,' Defence Minister Peter Dutton told Sky.
'There are different ways as we go through this, as time goes on, about ways in which we'll be able to bring people in.'
A plan for skilled overseas workers to quarantine on Christmas Island before entering Australia was being considered by the Department of Home Affairs
Idle cruise ships could also be part of a plan to get more skilled workers into Australia
Christmas Island had most recently been used to keep the Tamil family from Biloela offshore, until they were recently relocated to Perth on temporary resident visas.
The shut-down of international travel, robbing Australia of skilled workers, students and migrants, had left the mining and agricultural sectors in a state of suspension, unable to begin new projects or reap bumper crops.
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West Australian mining industry figures recently said resources projects worth $140billion were in the pipeline but required 40,000 workers by 2023 to be activated.
Only fill 7,000 of those jobs were likely to be filled by domestic labour, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA said.
In agriculture, less than a quarter of the usual number of backpackers employed to pick fruit and other produce were expected in Australia this year.
WA mining projects require up to 40,000 workers in the next two years, of which only about 7,000 would come from domestic labour (file image)
If it proceeds, quarantining at the Christmas Island facility would only occur between July and October because of extreme summer heat outside of those months.
Mr Dutton said that in any event, Christmas Island was likely to be upgraded in case of the arrival of refugees by sea who would need to be accommodated in a 'Covid-safe' environment.
Using the Howard Springs facility south-east of Darwin would be a controversial option because it is the dedicated quarantine facility for returning Australians.
The recent decision to halve the intake of the more than 30,000 Australians still stranded overseas means any decision to use the facility for skilled workers might create a perception that they were being favoured over returning citizens.
'We won't displace Australian citizens and that's been the approach we've taken from day one,' Mr Dutton said.
Less than a quarter of the usual number of backpackers employed to pick fruit and other produce were expected in Australia this year
