SA to relax border restrictions with WA, NT and Tasmania from midnight
South Australia will relax border restrictions with WA, NT and Tasmania from midnight tonight in a push to drive tourism and jobs. Other restrictions on public gatherings will change from Friday.
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South Australia is ending travel and quarantine restrictions on incoming travellers from WA, the NT and Tasmania from midnight in a bid to fire up our economic recovery.
Indoor classes such as dance groups will be able to have to 20 people, if they can provide 7sq m per person, from Friday.
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And public gatherings of up to 300 people are allowed from Friday.
After a meeting of the powerful SA Transition Committee on Tuesday morning, Premier Steven Marshall made the border announcement to drive new tourism and jobs.
It is one of the biggest moves back to life as normal in SA since lockdowns began.
However, the NT, Tasmania and WA are not removing quarantine rules for people entering their states.
As coronavirus spread widely through the country in March, Mr Marshall announced that anyone coming into SA would be forced into 14 days of self-isolation.
Since then, SA has recorded one of the flattest curves in the world.
The ending of quarantine restrictions will not apply for people inbound from NSW, Queensland and Victoria, where elevated infection rates are still being recorded.
It will apply only to direct travel from those locations, not people who are currently in a state such as Tasmania and seek to come via Sydney.
People who are currently in isolation, having come from the states where restrictions are now being lifted, do not have to complete it.
They are released from that obligation at midnight, Mr Marshall said.
Mr Marshall said making a fast decision allowed airlines to prepare to add new inbound flights for people wanting to come to SA.
Mr Marshall said Queensland could be added to the list this week.
“What we’ve seen in recent weeks is a massive improvement in every jurisdiction around the country,” he said. “We look forward to a time when the entire country can be open to all interstate travel.”
Mr Marshall said: “We should see more people travelling into SA”.
Legal issues had been raised about exclusive arrangement for so-called safe states and expert opinion on the matter was obtained by the Transition Committee on Tuesday.
Constitutional scholars have said there is a grey area about whether treating people from different states is allowed.
Many agree it depends on whether a court could be convinced that SA could prove it had a solid public safety reason for doing so.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said he would announce a date for easing Tasmania’s border restrictions next week, on June 26.
He expected borders to open “late July, all things going well”.
Mr Marshall on Friday announced SA would lift restrictions on inbound travellers from all states on July 20. He became the first leader of a border-controlled state to do so.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the border rules relaxation was a “welcome move forward on the path to a COVIDSafe reopening across Australia”.
“Looking forward to returning to SA to enjoy a locally brewed Coopers,” he said on Twitter.
Canberra has been pushing for all states to drop borders in July, to help fast-track the nation’s economic recovery.
The Transition Committee also considered a push to increase sports crowds, amid hopes up to 5000 people could attend this month’s SANFL launch.
It comes as the ACT openly pushes for a special deal with SA, ahead of the July 20 deadline.
SA officials are closely watching infection rates in NSW and especially Victoria, fearful of a second wave in SA by opening borders too soon.
However, there have been concerns raised that treating residents of different Australian states differently risks breaching the Constitution.
Various experts have publicly debated how laws that restrict travel could be seen to breach requirements for equal treatment of all Australians, and open trade.
Some scholars argue that restrictions can be justified if a legitimate threat to public safety can be shown.
Earlier, Mr Marshall told The Advertiser there would be close examination of legal advice on travel bubbles.
“We are looking to receive some further legal advice with regards to whether it’s possible to open up some borders earlier. That will be considered.
“I’m not optimistic that other jurisdictions will immediately lift with us.
“It is likely to be a messy situation, but we are committed as a national Cabinet to move into allowing interstate travel in July.”
SA’s so-called closed borders were put in place in March in a way that did not technically ban travel.
Instead, the policy requires that people who do decide to come into the state enter 14-day quarantine.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is also turning up the pressure on all states to open their borders, with increasingly strong language about the need to fire up the economy.
Mr Marshall on Friday revealed plans to lift all of SA’s quarantine restrictions on inbound travel from July 20, becoming the first state leader with closed borders to set a date for a return to normal.
Queensland has floated a possible July 10 opening date, but not set it in stone. NSW and Victoria have no closures.
Mr Marshall has left open the option of bringing the date for all interstate travel to SA forward. “We have shown to date that we have been very flexible,” he said.
“Where possible, we have eased restrictions earlier than we anticipated.
“Australia is doing extraordinarily well.
“Every jurisdiction is doing much better.”
Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron said the national capital was a “least-risk” destination, which had never had community transmission.
He called for one flight a day to resume between Adelaide and Canberra from July 3 or July 6 to restart travel in a careful and staged way.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has not named a date for when he wants travel to resume between the two cities, but wants it as soon as possible.
“I personally reached out to Premier Marshall and (Tasmanian) Premier Gutwein on the prospects of COVID-safe flights between Canberra and both SA and Tasmania,” he said. “Both Premiers have indicated their strong support.”
Mr Marshall said: “I don’t think we should have the borders closed for one day longer than we need to.
“It has a detrimental effect on our economy and our employment, but also a social perspective with alienating families. We’re very keen to see it lifted.”