The Jemena group, which manages the Northern Gas Pipeline between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa, has received approval to move 14 workers from interstate into the Barkly region in the Northern Territory to work on the pipeline without quarantining.
Jemena's executive general manager of gas markets Antoon Boey says most of the workers are coming from Queensland but a small number will be coming from Victoria, which remains a COVID-19 hotspot.
"As we speak right now, there is one worker onsite and progressively over the next few weeks we'll be bringing more workers in onsite," he said.
Mr Boey said the workers were required to make urgent repairs.
"We have discovered a number of technical issues with the pipeline which do require us to urgently be on site to repair those."
In a statement, a spokesperson from the Northern Territory Public Information Group said applications for alternative arrangements to the 14-day quarantine period were considered "on a case-by-case basis by the Chief Health Officer" and were granted "only in exceptional circumstance".
"NT Health is unable to provide comment about the circumstances of individuals as we have a responsibility to protect their privacy under the Information Act," the spokesperson said.
Interstate workers to be isolated
Mr Boey said the pipeline issues had been building for 12 months and the company could no longer delay repair works, which were originally planned to start in March but were delayed because of the coronavirus.
When asked why the company did not plan to give workers the time to quarantine, despite the six-month delay, Mr Boey said the "importance of quarantining was paramount" and that the company had developed a "robust" plan endorsed by the NT Government.
"We've arranged a completely isolated accommodation, catering and transportation system," he said.
"None of the staff that go up to the NT will in any way interact with local staff."
'Lack of transparent communication': health official
Mr Boey said local authorities in Tennant Creek were aware of the plan and included local business leaders, police, and the Barkly Regional Council.
Tennant Creek's Anyinginyi Health chief executive Barb Shaw said she suspected only a small number of people were fully aware and that she had not seen the plan.
"We're a major health organisation and we didn't know anything about this," she said.
Ms Shaw said she was "outraged" to learn about the plan to bring workers from interstate, particularly from Victoria.
"Anyinginyi has participated across the board in COVID-19 planning groups … and for me this is quite clearly a lack of transparent communication," she said.
Ms Shaw said she was not confident in the plan put forward by Jemena and said she "absolutely" wanted the exemption overturned.
"What happened in Victoria [was] that people were not taking seriously, and complying to, public health measure and restrictions," she said.
"Who's to say that that's not going to happen here?"
The NT Health Minister and Chief Health Officer have also been contacted for comment.
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