• Healthy North Coast has been working with high-risk business and industry to facilitate COVID-19 vaccination
• More than 1500 vaccine doses have been administered to North Coast workers over the past month
• Support remains available for local high-risk business and industry coordinating vaccination. 

Healthy North Coast has partnered with Regional NSW, Business NSW, Regional Development Australia and the North Coast Public Health Unit to support vaccination in high-risk business and industry.

Over the past month, more than 1,500 vaccinations have been provided to North Coast workers around the Coffs Harbour, Clarence Valley, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Byron local government areas. This support has enabled key high-risk business and industry workers to access vaccination at a time and location that meets their operational needs. These businesses include:

• NORCO in Lismore and Raleigh, where 700 workers were offered vaccinations
• the Casino Food Co-Op – 300 workers vaccinated through onsite clinics, with vaccination also offered to family and friends of staff 
• Mountain Blue Farms – vaccination for 550 staff, including 150 migrant workers
• other agricultural sector employees including at Costa Group, Owen Pacific Workforce, and local produce growers
• several public and independent schools as well as TAFE students and technical staff.

The Casino Food Co-Op Group HR Manager, Dan Smith, said the partnership with Healthy North Coast had made it much easier for workers to be vaccinated and helped boost vaccination rates.

‘Our staff have also been able to access dedicated vaccination sessions in local general practices,’ Mr Smith said.

Healthy North Coast CEO Julie Sturgess said Healthy North Coast had worked closely with industries that employed seasonal migrant workers to ensure the complexities of vaccinating offshore workers were addressed.

‘Solutions were found for employees who had partial vaccination prior to arrival in Australia, as well as those who required both doses,’ Ms Sturgess said.

She said more than a dozen vaccination service providers were available to coordinate and support mobile vaccination services for local business and industry.

Jane Laverty, Business NSW regional manager for the Northern Rivers, congratulated Healthy North Coast for their ‘fantastic initiative’ to involve business and industry in voluntary workplace COVID-19 vaccination opportunities. 

‘Meeting the needs of local business and industry by providing flexible options for staff vaccinations has simplified access and seen some great results,’ she said.

‘The collaboration has also highlighted future opportunities for businesses to partner with Healthy North Coast on healthy lifestyle initiatives to benefit employees.’