Queensland to reopen gradually as vaccination rates hit 70 and 80 per cent in coming weeks
The state government will not say if it will tip in new funding to help lure international tourists back to Queensland.
Gold Coast
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THE state government will not say if it will tip in new funding to help lure international tourists back to Queensland.
The Bulletin sent Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe a series of questions in lieu of the NSW government promising to spend $120m to woo international carriers into Sydney.
Gold Coast business leaders feared the windfall would come at a cost to the city’s lucrative offshore market.
In his response to the Bulletin, Mr Hinchliffe said the state already had an aviation attraction fund. He did not address what measures would be put in place to counter the NSW pledge.
“The Palaszczuk Government has always had an International Aviation Attraction Fund and has maintained strong, cooperative relationships with our overseas travel partners during the pandemic,” he said.
“The general opening of international borders by the federal government to overseas holiday-makers is not expected until next year.”
Mr Hinchliffe doubled down on its stance that the opening of the lucrative international tourism market rests at the arms of Queenslanders.
“Queensland’s Road Map to Covid-19 recovery – which is similar to NSW – mandates no border restrictions or quarantine for fully vaccinated overseas arrivals once 90 per cent of Queenslanders 16-plus are vaccinated.
“NSW has just come out of a 107-day lockdown with tragically 552 lives lost and almost 90 per cent of their residents now fully vaccinated, earlier than anticipated.
“Queensland’s vaccination rate is 60 per cent. The work of Queenslanders in responding health advice has kept our state safe from long lock downs and the high number of pandemic deaths experienced in NSW and Victoria.”
EARLIER: ‘HUGE PROBLEM’ WHICH WILL SMASH COAST BUSINESSES
GOLD Coast leaders fear the city will be “left behind” in the hyper-competitive post-Covid travel boom as other states shell out millions to lure in airlines and visitors.
The NSW government is shelling out $60m – matched by $60 million from Sydney Airport – to attract international airline routes plus “supercharge” tourism after nearly two years on ice. Other states are set to follow.
But fears are growing the Gold Coast will miss airline capacity, with Queensland’s border still seven weeks from reopening on December 17.
Queensland Airports CEO Chris Mills said the Gold Coast and state could not afford to be left behind as NSW and Victoria seized the initiative - and he hoped the 90 per cent vaccination threshold for reopening Queensland to internationals was an “anomaly”.
“We are watching closely what the other states are doing as well as interrogating Queensland’s road map for reopening,” he said.
“The road map was only released last weekend. We suspect there will need to be some adjustments for it to be effective. We particularly are hoping it is an anomaly a 90 per cent threshold has been set before international travel resumes. It seems inconsistent that people can travel to Melbourne and Sydney hot spots from December 17 but Queenslanders cannot travel from overseas.”
Mr Mills urged the state government to be ready: “I’d be concerned Queensland will fall behind the other states when it comes to attracting international airlines back to the state.
“The State has a good track record of applying funding to aviation attraction and, given the other states are now aggressively chasing international travel and airlines are responding quickly, we’d like to see Qld enter the discussions as quickly as possible with a strategy commitment to aviation funding.”
Gold Coast Airport was welcoming more than a million visitors a year pre-Covid, while hard border closures saw its traffic plummet 99 per cent, with just a handful of flights arriving per week.
While internal borders will reopen once the state reaches 80 per cent of its population being double-jabbed, there are no guarantees they will not be closed again if a major Covid outbreak occurs.
One Gold Coast tourism figure warned the city faced a long-term economic blow if it lost its edge to cashed-up NSW and travel hesitancy.
“They way they are opening NSW and Victoria to internationals, they are throwing money at it. And they will be out pinching every event they can,” the figure said. “We are going to miss out on events and flights. It’s a huge problem. We’ll get the crumbs if lucky.”
Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the Palaszczuk Government had always had an International Aviation Attraction Fund.
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said the state government needed to “put its chips on the table”.
“Now we have a stable reopening date of December 17, we need to have our chips on the table or otherwise we will lose out. We’re doing a great job promoting ourselves intrastate right now but we have to up the ante because we’re still Australia’s tourism mecca.
“But we do need to get these chips on the table and play some serious hands because travellers are already starting to book tickets.”
The city’s biggest industry lost $1b in the three months to September compared to the same period in 2019.
Destination Gold Coast forecast losses of $326m in September alone, down 68 per cent on pre-pandemic numbers. The sector lost more than $4b in 2020.
Acting Mayor Donna Gates said she expected the city would hold its own in the new tourism market, but that it was up to the federal government to lift restrictions.
“It’s fantastic international carriers are being lured back to Australia and the investment by the NSW Government is substantial but we all know the number one destination on the minds of global travellers looking towards Australia, is Queensland.
“I’ve no doubt once Federal Government allows international inbound flights without onerous quarantine regulations, our airport and Brisbane will be touchdown central.’’
DISTURBING TRUTH ABOUT COAST’S CHRISTMAS
GOLD Coast tourism bosses will launch a nationwide charm offensive in a bid to lure travellers back to the city in what is tipped to become an incredibly competitive market.
2022 is looming as a make-or-break year for the Gold Coast’s biggest sector, which has lost nearly $5B during the pandemic, with borders set to reopen the city to interstate and eventually overseas.
Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan said the organisation was already looking ahead to 2022 and how to best overcome the travel hesitancy which has dogged airlines and hotels in the Covid era.
“There is no question that all the research shows the Gold Coast is the place everyone wants to come to and now we have to reposition the Gold Coast so we offer everything there is to offer to intrastate, interstate and New Zealand, sooner or later,” he said.
“Sure we will do okay over Christmas but it will not be as brilliant as normal but now the confidence is back then the Easter period will be huge.
“The events market will have the confidence to book and a lot of our hotels will rely on it to fill their rooms.”
Mr Donovan said “a hell of a lot of work” still needed to be done to prepare for the return of interstate and international tourists in coming months.
It has been a traumatic two years for the sector, with new data released in September revealing one in five Gold Coast tourism jobs had disappeared since mid-2020 and another 4000 were tipped to disappear by Christmas.
Tourism, the Gold Coast biggest sector, lost nearly $4bn of its pre-Covid $6bn-a-year cash cow in 2020 alone.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s announcement on Monday of a December 17 reopening of the state to fully vaccinated visitors – without quarantine – was a mile stone the industry would work toward.
But she warned the nature of the tourism industry would be different post-Covid and the city could not just rely on school holiday periods to survive.
“(Boosting visitation to the Gold Coast) will be the priority for this organisation and we are ready to do it now we have a timeline to work with,” she said. “We are also seeing travel behaviour has changed and next year we are going to see people travelling outside of school holiday periods.
“For us, the Gold Coast needs to be a 365-day-a-year holiday destination and we need to be filling rooms on every one of those days.”
Tate: Why state could reopen three weeks early
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has hit back at Mayor Tom Tate’s criticism of her border reopening plan, saying she “doesn’t know what planet he’s living on”.
The Gold Coast mayor expressed his disappointment in the Queensland Covid Vaccine Plan border reopening plan announced on Monday, warning businesses would go broke in the two months leading up to December 17.
But Ms Palaszczuk hit back saying Gold Coast businesses were busy, live on Sunrise this morning.
“I was down at Burleigh the other weekend and you’re hard-pressed to find a cafe to get a seat at,” she told Sunrise on Tuesday morning.
“I don’t know what planet Tom Tate is living on but the best thing Tom Tate can do is get out there and tell his community to get vaccinated.
“I like Tom Tate, we get along really well but he’s wrong on this particular point.
"I don't know what planet Tom Tate is living on"
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) October 18, 2021
Queensland Premier @AnnastaciaMP hits back at the Gold Coast Mayor's criticism of her roadmap to reopening. pic.twitter.com/ALdbyVDxIG
“He needs to be on board and driving vaccinations so the businesses will be able to do even better in the Christmas and new year period.”
Cr Tate hit back at Ms Palaszczuk, comparing himself to the 1969 David Bowie hit single Space Oddity.
“Well it’s a bit like a moment from David Bowie isn’t it? Ground control to Mayor Tom,” he said.
“What planet am I on? It’s one where the Covid path to recovery as stated by the state government to the 17th of December is a long path,” he said.
“We don’t want to take a long path.”
Ms Palaszczuk warned Gold Coasters they needed to get vaccinated as a matter of priority.
“That community is on the border of NSW,” she said.
Now #goldcoast mayor Tom Tate responds to @AnnastaciaMP’s “I don’t know what planet you’re on†jab by making a @DavidBowieReal reference “ground control to Mayor Tom†@GCBulletinpic.twitter.com/vbWD222OSl
— Andrew Potts (@GCS_Pottsy) October 18, 2021
“If you don’t think on December 17 that the roads aren’t going to be packed and they’re going to come across the border and stop in at restaurants and cafes … the best thing the Gold Coast community can do is go and get vaccinated.”
But Cr Tate said his own modelling suggested that Queensland’s borders should open by November 25 or December 1 at the latest.
“I’ve analysed the statistics including the surge in Covid vaccination uptake over the weekend and it confirms that if we kept that trend up, the Queensland-NSW border fencing should be ripped up and thrown out the dump on November 25 – not December 17,’’ he said.
“November 25 is an achievable date for 80 per cent double vaccination across Queensland, including the Gold Coast. Every day counts when it comes to small business and tourism. We could even stretch it out to December 1 … but not December 17.
“An earlier date will also ensure thousands of Aussie families have the certainty to book a Queensland holiday. The current suggested date (December 17) is too close to Christmas and families will likely make other choices which is not what we want.”
What reopening means for Coast jobhunters
OCTOBER 18: GOLD Coast tourism bosses will move to immediately ramp up marketing efforts across the country ahead of the state’s pre-Christmas reopening.
The city’s biggest industry has been on its knees since the pandemic largely shut down travel nearly two years ago.
But a delighted Destination Gold Coast CEO Patrica O’Callaghan said she anticipated tourism would roar back to life ahead of the anticipated return of unrestricted travel for the fully vaccinated on December 17.
“This gives us a guideline of how we can get out of this pandemic, so this is welcome news for the Gold Coast and we look forward to marketing with confidence to consumers across Australia,” she said.
‘This is Australia’s holiday destination of choice and we look forward to rolling out the red carpet to all of them.
“The message we have is that we can come out of this earlier if everyone gets the jab and as an industry which lost more than $1 billion in the past quarter, we are relying on people to get the jab.”
It has been a traumatic two years for the sector, with new data released in September revealing one in five Gold Coast tourism jobs had disappeared since mid-2020 and another 4000 were tipped to disappear by Christmas.
Tourism, the Gold Coast biggest sector, lost nearly $4bn of its pre-Covid $6bn-a-year cash cow in 2020 alone.
Ms O’Callaghan said the industry faced a skills shortage, with many people having left the industry after losing hours and business closures.
However she anticipated employers would now launch a job-hiring spree in coming days to secure staff ahead of the festive season.
“We do expect we can ramp up before Christmas and we are already hearing from the industry that this announcement gives them the clarity they needed,” she said.
“We know the retention of skilled workers is going to be a critical issue for us and it will be prevalent at Christmas.
“We have lost a lot of good people in the industry and now is the time to get back in.
“We have to be double-vaxxed to get our lives back again.”
Meanwhile, Gold Coast hospitality bosses are divided about the Queensland Government’s state reopening road map, with one saying the international restrictions are disappointing.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed on Monday the state will reopen in three stages when the number of fully vaccinated Queenslanders hit 70, 80 and then 90 per cent.
The road map projects November 19 as the date for 70 per cent and December 17 as the date for 80 per cent. No date was set for 90 per cent when entry restrictions were removed for vaccinated internationals.
Aquaduck managing director Sarah Colgate said it was the perfect Christmas gift for an industry that has been on its knees for two years.
“We do need time to get staff, train up and prepare for increased capacity. This gives us that and a goal to aim for,” she said.
Surfers Paradise’s Costa D’Oro Italian restaurant co-owner Nuccia Fusco urged Premier Palaszczuk to stick to the reopening plan to prevent businesses from continuous suffering.
“We’ve been looking forward to this for such a long time,” Ms Fusco said.
“Once they open those borders, it will be like opening the floodgates for all tourism.”
Burleigh Pavilion owner Ben May said although the 80 per cent date set did cut a few weeks into the busy summer period, he was happy to finally have clarity on when Queensland borders would reopen.
“Any direction and goals are fantastic. Incentives are what drives vaccinations,” he said.
Not all hospitality bosses were positive about the news with Twin Towns Club and Resorts CEO Rob Smith labelling Queensland’s reopening plan a “disappointing outcome”.
“I’m very disappointed to see we have to wait for 90 per cent fully vaccinated for the border to be truly reopened,” he said.
Mayor slams Premier’s road map to reopening
GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate isn’t sharing in the city’s celebrations after the state government released Queensland’s Covid-19 reopening plan.
The outspoken Mayor says too many businesses will go broke awaiting the December 17 reopening date.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Monday, October 18 all double jabbed travellers can enter Queensland again without quarantining at home or hotels from December 17 – which is when the state is tipped to hit 80 per cent fully vaccinated.
The state is expected to hit 70 per cent fully vaccinated on November 19, allowing travellers to arrived by air from declared hot spots of Sydney and Victoria before spending 14 days in home quarantine.
Ms Palaszczuk said those restrictions would ease earlier than the announced dates if Queensland hit its vaccination targets earlier.
Business and tourism leaders are welcoming the reopening road map dates, saying Christmas had come early for the city and it would ensure a healthy holiday season, with interstate tourists expected to flood back into the state.
But Cr Tate expressed bitter disappointment, saying he did not believe the public would feel a strong level of hope from the announcement.
“Expecting people to arrive, only by air, and then home quarantine for 14 days may assist with some returning Queenslanders desperate to get back to their own homes but it won’t help the small business and tourism industries,” he said.
BREAKING: Today we’re releasing a plan for Queensland borders.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 18, 2021
Travel restrictions will ease when 70% and 80% of eligible Queenslanders are fully vaccinated.#covid19pic.twitter.com/4PANA1CBjF
“Those industries need absolute certainty now – not in November or December … now.
“The December 17 date is a bridge too far for many businesses who will go broke waiting.
“Setting that date so close to Christmas will also see thousands of Australians divert their planned Queensland holiday to another Aussie destination or even overseas. That will potentially cost us billions more in lost revenue.”
Cr Tate said the buck stopped with the state government.
“I’m disappointed that the Cabinet Covid Plan announced today has left Queenslanders feeling as though they are the villains in this,” he said.
“The Health Minister even stated ‘it’s up to you Queenslanders’. In reality, the buck stops with the state government so don’t portray it as our fault.’’
The state government did not reveal a date when the state is expected to reach 90 per cent fully vaccinated.
However, some restrictions on entry will remain for the unvaccinated, even after the 90 per cent point.
Unvaccinated travellers will need to apply for a border pass, or enter within the international arrivals cap, and undertake up to 14 days’ quarantine.
Ms Palaszczuk said: “There is going to be a risk of Delta outbreaks happening in Queensland and we need to be prepared.
“If we’re going to weather this storm, we’re going to be so prepared for this storm if we get vaccinated now. This is your last opportunity to get vaccinated.”
Business and political leaders have been pleading for months for the state government to declare a date for the hard borders to be relaxed.
Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan welcomed the premier’s announcement.
“Obviously it’s great news,” he said.”
The Gold Coast tourism industry has lost almost more than $1bn since southern states went into lockdown in June.
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said it provided a “light at the end of the tunnel” for struggling operators.
“This is exactly what they needed to work towards for this final stretch,” he said.
“Now this will let people plan for the Christmas break and chart ahead into the new year.”
Village Roadshow theme parks chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa said the target dates would deliver significant wins for the tourism industry.
“This gives us something to work towards now and it is great to finally have some direction,” he said.
“But now it means everyone should go and get vaccinated as fast as possible because there is nothing which should be holding them back at this point.”
REOPENING DATES:
At 70 per cent of Queensland’s eligible population fully vaccinated, expected November 19 anyone who has been in a declared domestic hotspot in the previous 14 days can travel into Queensland provided:
* They are fully vaccinated.
* Arrive by air.
* Have a negative Covid-19 test in the previous 72 hours.
* Undertake home quarantine for 14 days.
* Direct international arrivals into Queensland will have to complete 14 days quarantine in Government-nominated facility.
*International arrivals who arrive via another state or territory will have to quarantine in a government-nominated facility until 14 days have passed since they arrived into Australia.
At 80 per cent of Queensland’s eligible population fully vaccinated, expected on December 17travellers from an interstate hotspot can arrive by road or air:
* They must be fully vaccinated.
* They must have a negative Covid-19 test in the previous 72 hours.
* No quarantine required.
Direct international arrivals can undertake 14 days (subject to review by AHPPC) home quarantine and subject to conditions set by Queensland Health provided they are:
* Fully vaccinated.
* Have a negative Covid-19 test in previous 72 hours.
Those who don’t meet these criteria will need to enter within Queensland’s international arrivals cap and quarantine in a government-nominated facility, just like now.
Those arriving via other states and territories won’t need to quarantine if they are:
* Fully vaccinated.
* Have undertaken at least 14 days (subject to AHPPC review) of quarantine under the direction of another state or territory at home or in a government-nominated facility.
* Those who don’t meet the criteria to arrive via another state or territory will need to apply for a border pass and undertake up to 14 days (subject to review by AHPPC) quarantine in a government-nominated facility.
* It is important for businesses to know, at 80 per cent vaccination coverage, there will not be government financial assistance available in the event of increased restrictions or lockdowns.
* At 90 per cent of Queenslanders fully vaccinated.
* No entry restrictions or quarantine for vaccinated arrivals from interstate or overseas.
* Unvaccinated travellers will need to apply for a border pass, or enter within the international arrivals cap, and undertake up to 14 days (subject to review by AHPPC) quarantine.
EARLIER: QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned state residents “this is your last chance to get vaccinated” against Covid-19 before the state reopens gradually from November.
It comes as Queensland has recorded its 13th day straight of no locally acquired cases.
Ms Palaszczuk provided details about the slow – and long-awaited – reopening of Queensland at a press conference held just after 12.30pm on Monday.
The Queensland Covid Vaccination Plan has now been released and it includes dates for reopening based on vaccination rates.
When the state hits 70 per cent of adults fully vaccinated anyone who has been in a declared interstate hot spot in the past 14 days can travel into Queensland if they are fully vaccinated, arrive by air, test negative in the past 72 hours and home quarantine for 14 days.
When the state reaches an 80 per cent vaccination rate fully vaccinated travellers from interstate hot spots can arrive by road or air without having to quarantine.
It’s expected Queensland will hit 70 per cent on November 19 and 80 per cent on December 17.
Anyone arriving from overseas must complete 14 days of hotel quarantine at 70 per cent.
At 80 per cent, fully vaccinated international travellers presenting a negative test dated within 72 hours can home quarantine.
When Queensland hits a 90 per cent full vaccination rate no entry restrictions or quarantine requirements will exist for vaccinated arrivals from interstate or overseas.
Unvaccinated travellers will need to apply for a border pass, enter within the international arrivals cap and undertake up to 14 days quarantine (subject to review).
Currently, 72.26 per cent of eligible Queensland residents have had one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 56.58 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Ms Palaszczuk said she was “urging Queenslanders” to get jabbed and it was their “last opportunity”.
Importantly, interstate travellers will be allowed into Queensland in time for Christmas.
“The faster we are vaccinated, the faster these dates are achieved,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said: “If you want your family to visit for Christmas, get vaccinated now.”
“If you want to avoid regionalised lockdowns and restrictions, get vaccinated now … that’s particularly important in those regions where the vaccination rate has been lacking.
“We are also saying that after December 17 – when we expect to meet the 80 per cent of the eligible population double vaccinated – there will be other freedoms that are only available to people who have been vaccinated.”
Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young also spoke about the reopening.
“You can decide whether people get to visit loved ones in NSW and Victoria and the ACT and come back without quarantining if they are fully vaccinated, and of course, they have had that negative test,” she said.
“We also want to ensure that our regions don’t suffer as we open our regions don’t suffer as we open up.
“We need our regions to equally come out and get vaccinated in big come out and get vaccinated in big numbers to also hit this 80 per cent target and beyond.”
Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan welcomed the hotly anticipated announcement, which will allow fully vaccinated tourists to begin travelling to Queensland without quarantine measures from December 17.
“Obviously it’s great news,” he said.
The Coast tourism industry has lost more than $1 billion since southern states went into lockdown in June
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