NSW pair who allegedly evaded authorised officers at Melbourne Airport fined $19k

A NSW couple who sparked a manhunt after leaving Melbourne Airport without going into quarantine have apologised for “the mess”.

Police are appealing for information on two people who absconded from Melbourne Airport.

A NSW couple who sparked a manhunt after leaving Melbourne Airport without going into mandatory quarantine have apologised for “the mess”.

But Terry and Debbie Elford, 26 and 24, have disputed the suggestion they fled the airport deliberately.

The husband and wife, who live in southern NSW, flew into Melbourne Airport from Canberra on Friday afternoon.

According to authorities, the couple were told they had to quarantine for 14 days because they had been in NSW.

The 24-year-old woman allegedly fled the airport.

The 26-year-old man flew in from Canberra.

The couple got into a car outside the airport, sparking a search to track them down.

But Mr and Mrs Elford said when they arrived at the airport, Department of Health and Human Services officers couldn’t tell them whether they had to quarantine or not.

“Like hundreds of others on 1 January 2021, we got caught up with the confusion when the rules about entering Victoria changed,” they said.

“We had a permit, live in a green zone in NSW, were flying from Canberra airport which is allowed, and after we arrived in Tullamarine, we were stopped by DHHS officers who were not able to tell us whether or not we needed to quarantine. So after about an hour or so we walked away.”

Mr Elford said he and his wife attended an outdoor family barbecue before boarding a return flight to Canberra on Friday afternoon.

“This was all in line with the plans we had outlined to DHHS officers,” he said.

At 10am on Saturday, the couple turned up to Goulburn Police Station, where officers told them to go into self-isolation immediately.

In Victoria, Health Minister Martin Foley was forecasting huge fines coming their way.

“Those people have breached numerous orders of the state of emergency in Victoria and they will be fined at least $19,000 for their breaching of those arrangements,” he said.