Western Australia halts FIFO workers from NSW

Western Australia (WA) has stopped all fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers to its resources projects from New South Wales (NSW) that has the highest number of coronavirus infections in the country.

The move does not stop FIFO workers travelling from other states to WA, which last week restricted all travel with the exemption of essential services, including the resources sector. It also ordered that FIFO workers must take tests for the coronavirus on arrival.

NSW has 1,918 of Australia's 4,093 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with most of the country's 16 deaths occurring in the state. WA has 311 cases.

The decision had been made by the WA resources sector in the interests of community safety, said the resources industry body the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CMEWA).

WA's biggest source of FIFO workers come from Queensland, said CMEWA chief executive Paul Everingham. It is unclear what impact the decision could have on Australia's iron ore production, with more than 95pc of all supplies coming from WA.

WA is also the largest producing state for oil and gas output and is host to five LNG projects with a combined output of 48.7mn t/yr.

By Kevin Morrison