Police to investigate Simonds' Queensland super yacht exemption

Queensland police are investigating any potential border restriction breaches after a Melbourne construction magnate sailed up the east coast with an exemption to relocate his family.

Mark Simonds, executive director of the ASX-listed Simonds Group, was revealed on Monday to be the latest multimillionaire to have abandoned the southern state, mooring on the Gold Coast on Monday after a 15-day voyage.

Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said Queensland had "very clear" processes in place for getting exemptions that were applied "equally to whoever that person may be".

"There are exemptions for coming out of a hotspot but, nonetheless, there are requirements for people to go and quarantine," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"I'll look personally into that particular issue and ensure that everything has been done properly in that instance."

A joint investigation by this masthead and A Current Affair last week revealed Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox had also moved to Queensland with his wife and two children, using exemptions for truck drivers.

A nurse tests Hannah Fox for COVID-19 on yacht the Lady Pamela, moored at the Gold Coast City MarinaCredit: A Current Affair

A third child of Mr Fox's, daughter Hannah Fox, was on board the 30-metre Lady Pamela super-yacht with Mr Simonds, his wife Cheryl and his youngest son.

All seven passengers and crew were not permitted to disembark until they were tested for COVID-19 and it remained unclear whether any would be required to quarantine. Mr Simonds had previously declined to comment.

The two cases, along with exemptions granted to singer Dannii Minogue last month, raised eyebrows and suggestions of preferential treatment for some. From June 18 to August 7, fewer than 40 hotel quarantine exemptions have been granted from 10,500 requests, a Queensland Health spokesperson said.

Also responding to questions at the Tuesday press conference, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said people who had been on a vessel at sea for 14 days without entering a declared hotspot were given exemptions from hotel quarantine.

"Of course, if they've been in NSW they need to go into quarantine," she said.

An exemption to enter Queensland waters was understood to have been granted by Queensland Health on Sunday night after the boat had been moored at an inlet in Yamba on the NSW north coast, where a crew member was sent to get supplies.

Queensland police had monitored the yacht's movement up the coast, which included stops at bays and marinas along the way.

With NSW, the ACT and Victoria considered hotspots by Queensland health authorities, the state border is closed to all but a small number of exempt travellers.

Moving home or relocating interstate are among the few permitted reasons for Victorians to leave their homes under strict stage four restrictions in that state.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews declined to comment on the Simonds family's voyage when asked on Tuesday.

"I can't comment on Queensland's arrangements. If there's any person who is in Queensland, then the Queensland government or police would be the best people to comment on the circumstances in which they find themselves there and how they behave once they're there," he said.

"I can't speak to their rules and I can't speak to their enforcement. Our border is open so we don't need to provide people with permission [to leave]."

At Queensland's airports, Mr Gollschewski said, it had been a "busy" day, with 3199 passengers processed from 68 flights entering the state in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning – 14 people were refused entry.

A further 554 people were directed into hotel quarantine statewide, while 107 people were refused entry at road borders from 3109 vehicle intercepts.

with Marissa Calligeros

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