QLD suggests ‘travel bubble’ with NSW when borders reopen

Despite pointing to a reopening of state borders by July 10, Queensland may now be considering a travel bubble with a rather surprising state.

Queensland’s border could open earlier than planned if Australia’s COVID-19 status improves, but if certain states continue to show cases – like Victoria – Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the state’s government may consider a possible “travel bubble” with neighbouring states.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, Mr Miles said that while the borders were “very likely” to open to the rest of the country on July 10, the community transmission in Victoria and possible outbreaks following mass protests held across the country in June could delay that date.

Mr Miles said while it wouldn’t be the preferred solution, the government was considering the option of opening up a travel corridor to NSW, meaning Victorians would be left in the cold.

“There’s legal difficulties. There is also (the) practical difficulty of how you implement that both at the physical border and at airports,” he said.

“It is difficult to see how we could enforce something like that but certainly throughout this whole situation we have assessed all of the possible options and that has been one that has been considered at different points in time.

“It would be possible, I think it is probably unlikely.”

RELATED: Border could open before July 10 if situation improves

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has pointed to a July 10 reopening of the state borders. Picture: Darren England/AAP

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His comments come as Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said their method to making any changes to the opening of the border stayed the same.

“At the end of this month we will review all of our epidemiology,” she told reporters.

“Not only ours here in Queensland but from across the country to make those decisions about our borders.”

Dr Young said the stage three date would remain as July 10 “unless of course something … was very different either way”.

“If things were a lot better then of course we could bring that date forward, as did happen for this month’s stage two,” she said.

“Or if something were to happen interstate, I’m sure everyone would expect that we then push that date out.

“That’s always been the role of that road map, at the end of each month we’ve reviewed the situation we’re in.”

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said the lifting of border closures would be July 10 unless another outbreak happened.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said a travel bubble between neighbouring state NSW could be considered. Picture David Clark

The reopening date was announced after Prime Minister Scott Morrison put the hard word on state and territory leaders at National Cabinet in Canberra on Friday.

“I would like to make one thing very clear to the states and territories today,” he said.

“If you cannot come to your state from Sydney then no one is coming to your state from Singapore. So if you want borders open for international students then you need to open borders for Australians.”

There were 18 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Australia in the 24 hours to Sunday night but none in the Sunshine State.

Nine were in New South Wales, being eight returned travellers and a primary school teacher, and the other nine were in Victoria.

Five of those cases were linked to outbreaks, three were detected in hotel quarantine and one through routine testing.

Queensland is tipped to open on July 10. Picture: Tourism Queensland

Dr Young noted “there is some ongoing level of community transmission in southern states at the moment”.

But she has relaxed her stance on wanting to see a month go by without such a case recorded before lifting the state’s border restrictions, noting it does not have the “same degree of significance” as in previous months.

“Of course that’s the ideal, that’s one factor that we place a lot of significance on but there are other factors as well,” she said.

“We’ve got to remember, we’re in a totally different position here today in Queensland than we were back in March.”