MILLION OWED IN BUNGLE
Health bosses chase overpaid wages
AT least $1 million is still owed back to the State Government by Cairns health workers who were overpaid during Queensland Health’s payroll debacle seven years ago.
However, union official Krissie Bishop says workers affected by the ongoing issue are struggling to return the money and they are still affected by an inadequate payroll system.
Figures released by the health department show 80 former and current employees of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service each owe more than $5000 in outstanding overpayments. There are also 511 employees who each owe between $1000-$5000 and 1332 people who are being chased up for less than $1000.
Overall, however, the outstanding balance of overpayments has fallen statewide from $69.47 million in February 2015 to $38.29 million last month.
The former Labor Government’s $1.2 billion payroll system, which was rolled out in 2010, resulted in thousands of Queensland Health workers being underpaid, overpaid, or not paid at all.
EVERY time Marc Harbrow watches his younger brother Jarrod take the field in the AFL it is surreal.
It has been 11 years since the Cairns product made it big, when he was snapped up from a regional Victorian competition to become a rookie with the Western Bulldogs.
The rest has become history as the now 29-year-old defender moved back to Queensland to join the Gold Coast Suns in 2010 and became the first player to notch 100 games for the club.
This weekend will see him return home and play in front of his family again at Cazalys Stadium against the Bulldogs and Marc said it had become the highlight of the Harbrows’ annual calendar.
“Eleven years he’s been in the game and when I physically go and watch him I still haven’t come to terms that he plays at the elite level,” he said.
“When we chat the last thing we talk about is footy, so it still feels like a surprise that he made it.
“To all the family it’s still an incredible achievement.”
Marc said there could be up to 20 siblings, parents, cousins aunts and uncles who don the red and yellow and head down to Saturday’s game.
“They look forward to it every year,” he said.
“We catch up and go for lunch or breakfast. And every time he comes we try and slip in a fishing trip.”
The fishing may have to wait this year with the Suns only spending two nights in the city but Marc urged the Cairns community to get behind the game.
“I think it’s important (to have a game here) because it’s a strong AFL community in Cairns and the Far North and it’s important to grow the base of AFL,” he said.
“There are heaps of Bulldogs and Suns fans here. But for those who don’t watch AFL it’s also a big event and I think it’s important that the community gets behind it.”
WHILE the Gold Coast Suns’ annual game in Cairns has been on the Harbrow family calendar every year since 2011, another Cairns family is hoping to make it a yearly tradition too.
The Harbrows are used to watching their brother, son, and uncle Jarrod run around on Cazalys Stadium but for Jack Bowes’ family, the clash against the Western Bulldogs will be his first AFL game home turf.
The 19-year-old picked up the game of Australian rules football on the famous Cairns ground, playing for the Cairns
Hawks as a kid. Jack’s father Wayne Bowes, mum Collette, brother Jordan and many more relatives and close friends will be in the stands on Saturday afternoon.
“It was the only game I realward ly pencilled in at the start of the year that I wanted to be a part of,” Jack said. “I circled it once the fixtures came out. I am looking forward to it.
“All my family and friends will be in a marquee on a for- flank, which will be great to have them there.”
Harbrow wants to win in front of his family and friends after dropping the last three games in the region.
“It is good for the Cairns community and for AFL in Far North Queensland that they get to be exposed to AFL clubs,” Harbrow said. “All my family and friends will come along as well as the whole community hopefully.”