Victorian government officials were preparing for New Zealanders to leave NSW travel bubble
Victorian health officials were preparing for New Zealanders to arrive in Melbourne from the New South Wales travel bubble, in the latest twist in the federal-state fight over the new scheme.
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Victorian health officials were preparing for New Zealanders to leave the New South Wales travel bubble and come to Melbourne hours before dozens arrived at Tullamarine airport last Friday.
And it was not until that day, when travellers from New Zealand were allowed to enter Australia, that Daniel Andrews formally told Scott Morrison that Victoria was not ready to participate in the bubble.
The Premier has attacked the federal government’s handling of the travel bubble, saying 65 New Zealanders had “turned up without us knowing” after flying into Sydney.
The first arrivals landed at Melbourne Airport about 5.30pm last Friday.
But at 2pm that day, Victorian Department of Health and Human Services officials led a meeting at Melbourne Airport where the issue was discussed with Australian Border Force and Australian Federal Police representatives.
Records of the meeting show DHHS officials were aware New Zealanders could be flying to Melbourne, and they were considering what to do because the travellers did not hold “exemptions”.
When the flight landed, it is understood some New Zealanders were briefly detained by state authorised officers, before they were allowed to leave.
Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram referred to the meeting at a Senate hearing on Monday and said: “At the operational level at least, the Victorian services recognised what was happening and no objections were raised.”
New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he was “a little confused about what is going on in Victoria”.
“The advice I had was that Victoria had actually accepted that arrangement,” he said.
Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge challenged the criticisms made by Mr Andrews, saying the “arrangements … were well understood”.
But the Premier said it was not a “gold standard” because he had refused to join the bubble when asked by the Prime Minister.
Mr Morrison wrote to Mr Andrews when he announced the scheme on October 2.
The next day, Victorian Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said: “New Zealanders are free to come to Victoria.”
Mr Andrews did not write back to Mr Morrison until last Friday, in a letter which said: “We are unable to commit to this proposal until we have resumed accepting international flight arrivals.”
He sent another letter on Saturday which said: “I urgently request your action to prohibit onward travel of passengers under the safe travel zone arrangements to Victoria.”
By Sunday night, DHHS was telling New Zealanders they were “able to travel to Victoria” if they had passed immigration and biosecurity requirements in Sydney.
Mr Outram said the bubble “stops at the international terminal at Sydney airport”.
“It doesn’t extend across the road to the domestic terminal, it doesn’t extend down the federal highway to the Victorian border,” he said.
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