Mount Isa Mayor Joyce McCulloch has added her voice to calls for tougher FIFO restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Following Robbie Katter's call for more FIFO screening, Cr McCulloch who chairs the Local Disaster Management Group, says she wants urgent action on FIFO restrictions to protect the community saying FIFO operations was identified as high risk for the virus entering the community.
"We are not asking for mining operations to halt, but there must be contingencies put in place now to stop people travelling from outside of our region and walking straight into our workplaces," Cr McCulloch said.
"While these workers continue to cycle through work camps and mine sites and our community, amidst all the restrictions placed on everyone else, it poses a great threat to our community."
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Queensland closed its state border on Thursday morning to restrict the movement of people from interstate however FIFO workers in mining and other industries are exempted.
Cr McCulloch said there were still hundreds of workers coming in from other parts of Queensland and other states.
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"While our government is telling us not to go out to cafes and to work from home if we can, we are still flying in workers by the plane load - it just seems ludicrous," she said.
"Glencore have told the community that they are checking the health of workers before they leave their home destination, but why even take the risk?
"Let's protect the people who live in the mining community year-round."
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