NSW may call debt collectors on Qld over $40m hotel quarantine bill

NSW has not ruled out calling in debt collectors as Queensland continues to refuse a $40 million bill for hotel quarantine.

New South Wales has not ruled out calling in debt collectors amid an ongoing rift with Queensland over its refusal to pay a $40 million bill for quarantining returning international travellers.

Earlier this year NSW billed Queensland for quarantining its residents in the early stages of the pandemic, prompting Deputy Premier Steven Miles to film himself tearing up the first $30 million bill from the southern state.

It is understood that, since February, NSW Treasury has issued several more invoices to the Queensland Government up to the end of March 2021 for the quarantine of returning travellers.

The Government has yet to pay any invoices, with NSW Treasury pledging to continue negotiations over the debt.

However despite a preference to continue negotiations, the NSW Government did not rule out escalating the issue to recover the debt.

A spokesman for NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet would not detail what the next step would be if Queensland refused to pay.

“We thank those states that have come to the party and hope the others do too,” he said.

“We will continue to have discussions with our counterparts north of the border but our focus remains squarely on our road map for reopening and our economic recovery.”

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet

The spokesman said NSW had acted in “good faith” by allowing more than 245,000 travellers from across Australia – including Queenslanders – to quarantine in its hotels.

“Throughout the pandemic the NSW Government has acted in the national interest by taking back the lion’s share of returning Australians,” he said.

“The NSW Government has always said it will happily pay for its citizens who quarantine in other states.

“As NSW heads towards double vaccination rates of 70-80 per cent we remain committed to welcoming back more returning Australians.”

Mr Miles did not say whether Queensland would pay the invoice and added the government would not send NSW a bill for its residents.

“We haven’t billed NSW for all their residents who have been in our quarantine, and we don’t have plans to do so,” he said.

The Courier-Mail earlier this year revealed former Treasurer Jackie Trad agreed at a Board of Treasurers meeting in April 2020 to contribute to the costs of quarantine.

Queensland and Western Australia are thought to be the only state or territory refusing to pay NSW, with Victorian, South Australian, Tasmania and the ACT governments already settling the invoices.

Last week the NSW Government revealed it would launch a home quarantine pilot program next month.

in October so we can reunite even more families and friends as we transitioned to opening up our international borders.”

Originally published as NSW may call debt collectors on Qld over $40m hotel quarantine bill