Statement from NTIBN CEO

Postponement - NTIBN Blak Jobs Expo

Today NTIBN made the decision to postpone the Blak Jobs Expo scheduled for Thursday, which was expected to host around 400 jobseekers, employers and industry partners.

With the Darwin River pump station failure and the boil water alert across Greater Darwin, we simply cannot guarantee safe drinking water for participants. Bottled water is largely unavailable across retailers.

But this situation raises a bigger issue.

Government has asked the community to boil water before drinking, yet schools, workplaces and public activities are still expected to operate as normal.

When government asks the community to take safety precautions, it also has a responsibility to provide clear guidance on how businesses and organisations are expected to operate.

Right now businesses and community organisations are trying to do the right thing, but many are being left to make safety decisions without clear advice or timeframes.

Timely communication matters when essential infrastructure fails.