The Morrison Government’s bungling of hotel quarantine and the vaccine rollout is now threatening to disrupt the nation’s most valuable export industry.

Australia’s world-leading resources sector has largely been able to continue operating throughout this pandemic, which has proved critical to our economic recovery.  

Labor commends resources workers, industry groups, individual companies and state governments for enabling this.

But the outbreak of COVID-19 at Newmont Corporation’s Granites gold mine in the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory is creating extreme difficulties for the industry.

The 700 workers isolating on site are playing an important part in stopping COVID-19 spreading further into the community. 

Accommodation at mine sites is very compact, and with all communal areas being shut down, workers are having to isolate in small rooms. 

My thoughts are with the workers having to endure these very challenging circumstances.

I commend Newmont for the efforts they are making to ensure the mental health and general well-being of all workers isolating on site.

The workers and Newmont have done everything right and are working with health authorities to manage isolating.

This unfortunate situation is a direct result of another hotel quarantine breach under the watch of the Morrison-Joyce Government. 

It has been compounded by the Government’s bungled vaccine rollout.

If the Morrison Government had not just dumped the resources portfolio from Cabinet, they might have a better idea of the challenges facing an industry that directly employs more than 260,000 Australians.

Labor also acknowledges the efforts of workers across the industry as their swings into mine sites are extended to minimise travel during the Perth and Peel lockdown period.

This means more time away from family and community to ensure the resources industry keeps operating.

The families of  workers isolating at the Granites Gold mine and those now spending more time away deserve the community’s thanks.