Job ad hints that New Zealand will be closed to Australia for two years

Just days after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern knocked the NZ trans-Tasman travel bubble on the head, a new ad suggests how long we will have to wait.

Just days after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern knocked the trans-Tasman travel bubble on the head amid growing coronavirus cases in Victoria and NSW, a job advertisement suggests that the corridor between nations could be a few years off yet.

On Monday, Ms Ardern dismissed the prospect of a trans-Tasman travel bubble with Australia starting “anytime soon” saying that the community transmission levels of coronavirus were far too high to be considering opening her nation to travellers across the ditch.

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NZ leader Jacinda Ardern has squashed the idea of a trans-Tasman bubble anytime soon. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

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“One of the things we said as part of our criteria was that anywhere we have quarantine-free travel, they have to be free of community transmission for a period of time – 28 days,” she said.

“That is going to take a long time for Australia to get back to that place.”

Meanwhile, a new job advertisement has been posted on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, calling for applicants to fill several roles that will help co-ordinate returning Kiwis’ stays in hotel quarantine, and it may give a hint of the future as New Zealand sees it.

The job ad is for a two-year contract.

The roles are listed to be a two-year contract position, raising speculation that an air bridge between the two nations may not be an option for years to come.

The job advertisement calls for applicants who are “passionate about shaping meaningful engagement and communications strategies that help New Zealanders” as well as “supporting” New Zealand’s “first line of defence against COVID-19 spreading” across communities.

“Our communications team will also support operational communications targeting returnees from the moment they book their ticket through to stay in and their exit from managed isolation and quarantine,” the listing reads.

Holidays in New Zealand may be a long way off yet. Picture: iStock

That Queenstown ski trip is looking less and less likely.

Along with Australia, New Zealand closed its borders to all nonresidents in March when the coronavirus pandemic was thought to be at its peak. All returning residents will now be required to pay for their 14-day quarantine stay in a hotel, which is the same process now in place across Australia.

After entering a lockdown on March 19, New Zealand lifted all domestic COVID-19 restrictions in early June. It has been more than 90 days since New Zealand last saw a case of COVID-19 with no known source.

Both Ms Ardern and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had earlier talked over the possibility of opening up to certain jurisdictions in Australia, given many are in a much better position than Victoria. This concept, however, would have to be approved by the Australian National Cabinet.