Australians are being enticed with an end to the uncertainty of snap lockdowns and border closures by early 2022 and a pathway to international travel, after national cabinet agreed to a four-phase plan to grant greater freedoms once a critical mass of the population was vaccinated against coronavirus.

Unveiling what he described as a “new deal” with the public, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said restrictions on overseas travel would also be eased, including the possibility of home quarantine for vaccinated travellers, while ramping up the number of foreign students and workers allowed into the country.