Australia is reopening for overseas travel – so why isn’t Queensland?

Queensland’s low level of vaccination means its residents will be left grounded while other parts of the county open up to overseas travel as early as November. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Queenslanders will be left behind on the tarmac, while other parts of the country with higher vaccination rates open up to international travel again as early as next month.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there will be tourism operators wondering why Australians will be able to travel to “Bali or Fiji” before the sunshine state.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk would not comment on the plan to restart international travel last night after national Cabinet, having earlier been caught by surprise by the Prime Minister’s announcement.

Mr Morrison revealed that once a state hit 80 per cent double-dose vaccination and had a home quarantine program established, its airports would again be open to international travel for people with two jabs.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it is time for Australians to get their lives and freedoms back after making sacrifices during the pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

It would include Australians returning home from overseas or those leaving for the first time since borders shut on March 20 last year, with travellers only having to do seven days home quarantine.

Sydney airport is expected to move first, from as early as November.

It will leave Queensland in an unusual situation where its state borders remain closed, while international borders are open in other parts of the country.

Queensland is not expected to hit the 80 per cent double vaccination until December 7, but has yet to commit to even opening its state borders at that point.

Ms Palaszczuk made repeated statements in the past fortnight indicating that plans Queensland’s state border relaxations would not be finalised until after further talks regarding the national plan for reopening were held at national cabinet, telling people to “calm down” until then.

But there were no significant agreements were made at the meeting between the premiers and Prime Minister on Friday, despite further discussions around the national plan and vaccine rollout.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Getty

Mr Morrison said Australians had made many sacrifices during the pandemic, but he would stick to the deal to start opening up as vaccination rates improved.

“It’s time to give Australians their lives back,” Mr Morrison said.

“We’ve saved lives. We’ve saved livelihoods but we must work together to ensure that Australians can reclaim the lives that they once had in this country.”

He said the rest of the country should not be held back by states with lower vaccination rates.

“The question is, how can you go to Bali or Fiji, when you can’t go to Queensland. There’s plenty of tourism operators in Queensland who will be asking that question,” Mr Morrison said.

“When vaccination rates are up to 80 per cent in Queensland, well, then there will be opportunity for Queensland to join an open country.”

There will be potential for quarantine-free travel with some countries like New Zealand in the short-term if health advice allows.

Unvaccinated Australians and foreign nationals will remain subject to 14-days hotel quarantine and arrival caps for now.

NSW is set to be the first state to reopen internationally, on track to hit 80 per cent fully vaccinated in mid-to-late October, with Victoria and ACT also in the running to join it before the end of the year.

Qantas has already announced it will restart international flights from November 14, with three weekly return flights between Sydney and London and another three weekly flights between Sydney and Los Angeles.

Prior to entering national cabinet, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk would not comment on the Prime Minister’s plan to restart international travel next month, or if the state would be involved.

“It has not been distributed in any papers to national cabinet, prior to national cabinet’s meeting,” she said.

“So it’s a bit disappointing that we haven’t been given that due courtesy.”

Qantas has already announced it is preparing for flights heading to Los Angeles and London from November 14. Picture: Mark Stewart

She said she wanted to see the results of home quarantine trials in NSW and SA before considering seven-day home quarantine for fully vaccinated Australians in Queensland.

“It would be irresponsible and I think Queenslanders would expect me to see some paperwork to understand the issues before an announcement is made,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Mr Morrison said the Wellcamp and Pinkenba quarantine facilities, expected to open at the end of this year and the first half of next year respectively, were still needed as long-term assets for any future shocks.

The Federal Government only has involvement with the Pinkenba proposal, a joint project with the State Government, while Queensland moved on Wellcamp on its own.

Mr Morrison has said Federally-backed quarantine facilities like Pinkenba were about additional capacity to hotel quarantine, not replacing it.

But Groom MP Garth Hamilton said Wellcamp should be scrapped because there was no more need for it.

“It’s clear we’re moving towards a system of home quarantine. With Pinkenba set up for international travellers and on-farm quarantine approved for overseas farm workers there’s no need for the Premier to waste any more taxpayer money on the Wellcamp white elephant,” Mr Hamilton said.

“Toowoomba is not the scrap heap for Brisbane’s bad ideas. We have a great future out here and we don’t need this reminder of the Premier’s obstinance hanging over our heads.”

Meanwhile, Flight Centre boss Graham Turner has warned he will launch a court challenge against closed state borders, if Queensland, WA and Tasmania don’t come up with a reasonable time frame for reopening after vaccination rates hit 80 per cent.