1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf. 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 2: You are our eyes and ears in the Territory Mix 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 2: one oh four point nine. Well, as you've heard over 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: the last couple of days, we are anticipating the Howard 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 2: Springs Quarantine facility is going to increase the number of arrivals. 6 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 2: Ossie's being repatriated, and we're also going to see a 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: huge increase in the workforce out at the Howard Spring site. 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 2: We are trying to recruit four hundred staff. Now joining 9 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 2: us on the line to talk more about this from 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: the Health Services Union for South Australia and the Northern 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 2: Territory Branch Secretary Billy Lrick. Good morning to you, Billy. 12 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: Good morning Katie, Thank you for having me, Thanks. 13 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us this morning. Billy, how do you 14 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 2: reckon we're going to go with trying to recruit four 15 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:50,599 Speaker 2: hundred staff to the territory. 16 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: Look, at least it's going to be a struggle. Hasn't 17 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: been identified yet where these staff are coming from, how 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: they're going to come across in today and be house 19 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: that facility, and what incentive packages will be given to 20 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: them as part of the recruitment process. There's still a 21 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: lot of unknown for this, Protect Billy. 22 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: When you talk about health staff around the nation at 23 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 2: the moment, they're certainly in high demand, aren't they. 24 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, We've got one of the biggest health efforts 25 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: we've ever got underway within the vaccination rollout that is 26 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: taking up staff from all areas of health. We're talking 27 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: about bringing ambulance drivers, former and retired nurses back into service, 28 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: and looking at all sorts of areas of health workers 29 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: to just get that vaccination rolled out in an efficient 30 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: and effective manner that puts strains like we've never seen 31 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: on the workforce before. Wow. 32 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 2: So then when you you know, when you take that 33 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 2: into account, how big a task is it going to 34 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 2: be for us to try and bring four hundred staff here. 35 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: It's monumental. We don't know where they're coming from. Fuel 36 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: and simple. How are they going to be a tractor 37 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: across as we know, it's already struggled to get in 38 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: health conditions into rule parts of Northern Territory and to 39 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: get appropriately trained individuals working in the health workforce. We 40 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: just don't know where they're coming from. 41 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, and this is a concern that I've got We 42 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 2: spoke with the Health Minister earlier in the week and 43 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 2: I asked her what type of jobs they would be. 44 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 2: She said it would sort of be everything you know, 45 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 2: from those that are that are cleaning right to those 46 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: you know, those real specialist health professionals. She said that 47 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:32,959 Speaker 2: some of them may be secondered, you know, from different 48 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 2: areas of the Health Department. But if that is indeed 49 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 2: the case, then you're obviously going to have a shortage 50 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 2: in other areas of health. 51 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely. If you look at an area like mental health, 52 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: it requires a high level of training, skills and specialization. 53 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: There's al very shortages of that across the nation to 54 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: find staff to staff mental health facilities. When you're looking 55 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 1: at a place like Howard Springs where there is a 56 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: higher risk for individuals to suffer for mental health related 57 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: illnesses due to the isolation and the quarantine programs, it 58 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: needs traditional mental health staff and where will they be 59 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:08,839 Speaker 1: coming from, the Government's failed to answer that up to now. 60 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: Can I also ask Billy, I've been told by health 61 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 2: professionals that coming across to the Northern Territory to work 62 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: for the Ozmat team, part of the National Critical Care 63 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 2: and Trauma Response Center is seen as you know, really 64 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 2: quite a stepping stone and there are a lot of 65 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 2: people that would be keen to maybe be part of 66 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 2: that ozmat team. Do you think though, that coming across 67 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 2: and working for the Northern Territory Health Department has the 68 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 2: same kind of clout, probably not quite. 69 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: The same sort of clown and work for Asma. Yes, oh, 70 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: that is a stepping stone to someone. It is also 71 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: not necessarily that big of an incentive within itself. At 72 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: the end of the day, health workers have bills to 73 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: pay for families to take care of, and a relocation 74 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: to s Garwen or Howard Springs is still a significant 75 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: effort for someone to undertake and the idea of benefiting 76 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: their career what may appeal to some isn't going to 77 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: attract four hundred people to the Northern Territory. It's going 78 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: to only attract small cohort. It's not going to make 79 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: up the bulk of the workforce. 80 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 2: Billy, what kind of incentives would get people here. 81 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: Well appure in s implet money. If you're going to 82 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: try and attract people to Howard Springs, you're going to 83 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: need to give them a higher way from what they're 84 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: getting at the Eastern Seaboard or South Australia WA or 85 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: something like that. If without a fair and reasonable enumeration package, 86 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,679 Speaker 1: workers are not going to come across. 87 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 2: Billy Can I ask do you think that if if 88 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: we've got a situation here where we're not able to 89 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: recruit people through those you know, through the regular avenues, 90 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: the Health Department sort of putting out an ad are 91 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 2: we going to have to use agency staff? And does 92 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 2: that represent or does that you know, present problems in itself? 93 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 1: Yeah? Absolutely, And that sort of thing that we worry 94 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: about is that the government has made these very large commitments, 95 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: and these possibly unachievable commitments in a very short time frame, 96 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 1: and I look for a while we're skilled, lower trained 97 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,799 Speaker 1: workforce to fill the gaps, and we've seen in Victoria 98 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: and other places when these quarantine facilities aren't staffed correctly, 99 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: we get outbreaks and that presents a real risk to 100 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: people in Northern Territory and also begs the question is 101 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: why is the Northern Territory bearing that risk? The other 102 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: states may have a greater capacity and may have a 103 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,799 Speaker 1: greater means of attracting that staff, but yet the Northern 104 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: Territory making up a small percentage of the population is 105 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: going to be dealing with fifteen percent of all international arrivals. 106 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: It just doesn't quite seem fair. 107 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 2: Well, Billy, you've certainly given us a lot to think 108 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 2: about this morning. I really appreciate your time. Thanks for 109 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 2: having a chat with me. 110 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: No, thanks very much, Katie, thank you. 111 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 2: That's Billy Eleric there, who is indeed the Health Services 112 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: Union South Australia Northern Territory Branch Secretary. And I'll tell 113 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 2: you what that discussion there about the agency staff and 114 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 2: what we've seen in other states, those outbreaks. You know, 115 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 2: we've got to make sure that we get these staffing situate, 116 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 2: all the staffing levels correct. We've got to make sure 117 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 2: that you know that we've got the right people in 118 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: these jobs, because at the end of the day, we're 119 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 2: talking about the safety of the Northern Territory.