Border: Expert’s warning over future closures around Australia

Annastacia Palaszczuk is now pleading with Sydney to visit Queensland when the border reopens next week. An expert says travellers should tread with caution.

Experts are calling on Australians to remain cautious when it comes to booking interstate travel, following the announcement that Queensland would be reopening its border to all of NSW from Monday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unexpectedly dropped the news on Nine’s Today show this morning, with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian first hearing about during an interview with 2GB radio host Ben Fordham.

Ms Palaszczuk said that Queensland will reopen to all of NSW from February 1, after the state shut the borders to Greater Sydney residents just days before Christmas.

“It has been a really, really long haul, and it has been tough on everybody, but I’ve always maintained, I have to keep Queenslanders safe,” she said.

“I can announce for you that the NSW border will reopen on the 1st of February. So it’s a great time for families to be reunited, but also, too, for people to plan their holidays.”

The border restrictions will be eased for 35 NSW LGA’s from Monday, provided there is no major change in the state’s COVID-19 situation.

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced the Queensland border will reopen on February 1. Picture: Matt Taylor

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian found out about the reopening on radio. Picture: Richard Dobson

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But Flight Centre CEO Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner said he predicts Australians will be cautious around packing their bags and booking a flight to the Sunshine State, given how quickly borders tend to slam shut.

“This is welcome news, certainly for travel and tourism,” Mr Turner told Sky News host Peter Stefanovic.

“Sydney being open is vital for Queensland and other states. So it is good news … but let’s hope they stay open, because that’s our major concern is that they keep opening and shutting … on what it seems at a whim. Every state has a different policy.”

Mr Turner said that the snap closure of borders made by premiers just days before Christmas will have an impact on how quickly NSW residents book ahead of the February 1 reopening.

“We found when states opened before Christmas, December bookings went crazy,” he said.

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Queensland will reopen the border with NSW on Monday, February 1. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Steve Holland

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“But people are a bit more circumspect now because they have been caught by border closures. So I don’t think [bookings] will be the same.”

Ms Palaszczuk’s announcement comes after NSW recorded its 10th day of no locally acquired coronavirus infections on Wednesday. The premier hopes NSW residents will book a trip north to Queensland, and to start booking a trip to “explore the far north”

“We want to showcase to the rest of Australia what there is up here for you to experience,” she said on Thursday.

“I know it’s been very on families especially with the closure of the Greater Sydney area. Now’s the time for families and friends to be reunited.”

But Dr David Beirman, lecturer in tourism from Sydney’s University of Technology, said while the decision to reopen is welcome, it’s no surprise Aussie travellers will remain cautious.

“Unfortunately, the opening for people from greater Sydney is too late for any benefit to arise for the NSW school Christmas holiday market,” he said, given students return this week.

“The open and shut nature of the Queensland border with NSW and other states has been a disaster for the Queensland tourism industry. The revolving border gate policies of the Queensland government and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has created so much uncertainty among both tourists and the tourism industry that many people in NSW and Victoria now think twice about planning travel to Queensland.”

Queensland slammed the borders shut to Greater Sydney, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast on December 21 after a COVID-19 outbreak in the northern beaches.

Mr Turner said he is concerned the borders could snap shut again, and urged state premiers to have confidence in their counterparts to manage local hotspot outbreaks.

“We need to encourage premiers to keep the borders open and allow each state to control hotspot [outbreaks] which will continue to happen.

“States keep doing their own thing … each of the states has a different policy. They should be trusting each other to handle hot spots … and we should be able to trust without shutting borders. It has such a negative effect especially on tourism.”