Cairns Covid-19: Leaders call for ‘clear confidence’ over Far North travel bans
City leaders have called for an end to political gamesmanship and for greater clarity on when international airlines will return following a damning claim Cairns Airport could be shut off to overseas arrivals for months due to low vaccination rates.
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FAR North leaders have called for an end to political gamesmanship and for greater clarity on when international airlines will return following a damning claim the city might be without overseas passengers for months.
Both the Commonwealth and Queensland governments have pointed the finger at each other over who is ultimately responsible for fixing a return date for international markets, following a letter which advised a PNG airline it might not be until March 26.
It comes as Qantas announced it was delaying planned international flights from Queensland until as late as February amid concerns about the state’s sluggish vaccine rollout.
The move will add pressure on Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to speed up her state’s flagging vaccine program, which targets a 90 per cent vaccination rate before welcoming internationals back.
Her government has stopped short of providing a time frame on when this might occur in the Far North, saying ultimately it was a federal decision.
“We are not in a position to give a fixed date right now but I can assure the people of Cairns there are important discussions under way in the background,” said Cairns MP and Assistant Tourism Minister, Michael Healy.
A spokesman from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications said Canberra expected the Palaszczuk government to “reduce barriers to travel” as vaccination rates increase, as has occurred in other states.
“This will pave the way for more passengers and more international flights into Australia, which is a crucial step in restarting our economy on the other side of the pandemic,” he said.
The department is believed to be finalising international airline timetables for the next six months.
Federal MP Warren Entsch said the resumption of flights into Cairns remains contingent on vaccination rates and health and quarantine requirements, based on the advice of the state.
“Is the state government prepared to pick up the $300,000 a week for payroll that Quicksilver wants to pay, while they have no passengers?” Mr Entsch said.
“The international community are the ones who are going to make this happen and get these guys going again.
“Places like the Gold Coast and Darwin will to be going chips in on overseas markets and that will be at the Cairns Airport expense.”
Cairns Regional Council mayor and former Cairns Port Authority CEO Bob Manning said it was time both tiers of government provided “clear confidence” on when businesses could expect to start picking up the pieces “after copping an absolute pizzling” throughout the pandemic.
“You don’t get out of a recession without confidence,” he said.
“Both tiers of government understand this, and the level of confidence they can provide our region is absolutely bloody critical.
“So let’s have it then, we owe it to this tourism industry who have copped an absolute pizzling.
“For goodness sake, give the punters a go and give us some confidence.”
Kevin Byrne, the former Cairns Mayor and executive manager of advocacy group Enterprise North, said a more transparent response was needed from both sides of politics “to sort this mess out.”
He said the Far North was “completely misunderstood by Brisbane” and “have been treated like lepers for some time.”
“This part of the world is getting absolutely neglected and someone needs to stand up,” he said.
“The issue about our pandemic management and how people play their politics is having a disastrous effect on what is happening here, from both a federal and state level.
Mr Healy said high level discussions were currently being held with Ms Palaszczuk and senior ministers on when the restart of international flights might commence into Cairns.
“I want the international airport open tomorrow,” he said.
“I know how important this is for agriculture, export, and from a consumer perspective for Cairns.
“We are engaging with the aviation sector and the tourism and business communities, we are acutely aware of what the industry needs.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland boss Mark Olsen said he expected the 90 per cent target “to be reached by January”, paving the way for a return to quarantine free international travel.
He said Cairns needed to be open to welcome international visitors on the same day as other airports across the state.
“One-fifth of our region’s workforce relies on tourism to support their job so it is very important for the Cairns community to get vaccinated and allow travel to resume,” he said.
Mr Olsen said the industry wanted to see flights return as soon as possible.
“Every day until international borders open our regional economy loses $3 million and we welcome the Premier announcing a formal date to allow international airlines to return.”
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