Sep 27, 2021

Queensland nurse stranded in New Zealand may lose her job

Gold Coast woman stranded in NZ

Barbara Anderson, a nurse based on the Gold Coast of Australia, has had six flights home to Queensland cancelled.

She is now calling for essential workers to be given priority when returning back home to Australia.

Anderson is originally from New Zealand and had been on holiday there when lockdown hit on August 17.

Since then, she has had six flights to locations all around Australia cancelled and has been forced to stay with friends and family.

“I didn’t book a return flight because you never know what’s going to happen in this climate,” she explained to stuff.co.nz.

Anderson remains uncertain when she will be able to return home after the New Zealand government confirmed earlier this month the trans-Tasman bubble will remain closed until at least November.

Anderson believes essential healthcare workers should be given priority when returning to Australia.

“Sports teams appear to be swanning out and into New Zealand and preventing other New Zealanders taking up spots,” she observed.

“Any workers that need to return to gainful employment need to be prioritised.”

Complicating Anderson’s situation is the fact she is uncertain she will still have a job when she returns home.

Her employer has been “vague” about her role, Anderson explained.

“It’s a major stress because the bills are coming in,” she said, adding she is contemplating selling her Gold Coast home to provide much-needed funds.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Please fly this nurse back home to Australia immediately. Please.
    We need her here in Oz.
    Why should she have to sell her home. Due to the virus. She is a Frontline worker.aus government Look after our tax paying citizens

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Data reveals stark numbers: 1 in 3 COVID deaths occurred in aged care

Analysing the numbers paints a serious picture. While over half of NSW facilities continue to battle outbreaks, around a third of COVID-19 deaths in 2022 in Australia have happened in aged care facilities. Read More

Body of 21-year-old aged care worker found in shallow grave

On Sunday, March 7, police spoke to a 20-year-old man who Jasmeen knew, who subsequently told police he could take them to where her body was buried near Hawker, over 430km north of where she had last been seen.  "[The man] agreed to show detectives a grave in the Moralana Creek bed where he said she had been buried," Detective Superintendent Des Bray said on Monday afternoon. Read More

COVID-19 adding strain to aged care system already under financial pressure

The aged care sector is doing an extraordinary job rising to the challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis. Staff are on the front line, putting concerns about their own health aside as they care for those who are most at risk from the disease. But some in the industry are worried about the additional costs... Read More
Advertisement