Covid 19 coronavirus: the Transtasman bubble could be operational in November

A plan by the federal government and tourist groups to restart Australia’s battered travel industry is for state border restrictions to be lifted by December 1 and a trans-Tasman travel bubble up and running by November.

A tourism task force made up of Tourism Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Flight Center and other industry leaders has outlined its timeline to restart the country’s ailing tourism industry.

But a spokesperson for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office said talks on Transtasman’s free quarantine travel are still ongoing and no decisions have yet been made.

Under the Australian Tourism Task Force plan, revealed by media across Tasmania, tough state borders would be lowered on December 1.

New Zealanders would begin traveling to Australia without quarantine in November, and Sydney is likely to be the first port to reopen to New Zealanders.

Australians are then expected to be able to travel to New Zealand without needing to self-quarantine in January or February.

The task force also wants hotel quarantine limits to be removed by March 1.

It has also set a schedule for the return of the cruise ships, with national expedition cruises for 300 people or less beginning in November before the return of larger ships and trips to New Zealand and the Pacific.

The details of the task force timeline come as the conversation intensifies about a transtasman travel bubble that will be unveiled at Christmas.

The Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, John Hart, told The Australian that the first stage would see New Zealanders travel to Australia.

“It doesn’t matter if they are New Zealanders or repatriated Australians. It’s about having a quarantine-free entry into Australia,” he said.

“We hope that then the answer will be for New Zealand to say ‘we’re happy the reverse is also happening’, recognizing that it will probably start with the South Island rather than the North Island, given that they still have active cases in the north.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that it was “possible” that transtasman trips could occur in December under a state-by-state approach that would likely start with New South Wales.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said it could even start earlier.

“If we have secure travel and tracking operations working as they should … then I think [travel bubble] it can be long, long before, “he told Channel 9’s Today show.

“But it is up to the authorities to make sure it happens both ways.

“Personally, if we can ensure that both Australia and New Zealand are confident in what we seek to do, it is very important that we get our tourism back as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, the Tasmanian government has revealed that it may reopen its borders with South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and the ACT, and possibly New South Wales, by the end of October, pending health advice. public.

But uncertainty remains about the future of other state border restrictions.

Western Australian Health Minister Roger Cook would not be given an exact date when WA’s borders would reopen to other states and territories.

“It will be based on the best public health advice,” he told ABC’s Breakfast this morning.

“Western Australia is doing well in terms of managing Covid-19. We will open our borders and obviously welcome the opportunity to do so, but we will only do so with the best health advice and when it is safe to do so.”

Meanwhile, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk recently reopened her status to the ACT, but has made no commitment to welcoming people from New South Wales.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said it was “not good enough” that Australians could not move freely within their own country.

“We want the prime ministers of the states that still have very strict lockdowns to ease those restrictions,” McCormack said.

“Because what we need is planes back in the air. Planes in the air means work on the ground. People want to travel, especially as we approach these warm months when people want to go on vacation and want to catch up with your loved ones at Christmas.

“It is not enough that we have strict blockades, border restrictions that prevent many people from traveling to where they want to be in this great nation.”