Traditional owners want flights from Brisbane to Uluru cancelled after elevated COVID-19 alert

TRADITIONAL owners have asked for flights to Yulara Airport from Brisbane to be cancelled after an elevated COVID-19 alert was issued

Traditional owners blockaded the entrance to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park amid growing fears of travellers arriving from hotspots. Picture: Supplied

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TRADITIONAL owners have requested future flights coming into Yulara Airport from Brisbane be temporarily cancelled due to concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus through interstate visitors.

The request comes after recently introduced new advice from Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie for travellers from areas of elevated COVID alert.

The Gold Coast and greater Brisbane areas were put on elevated alert on Saturday after a recent outbreak in south Queensland.

Traditional owners blockaded the entrance to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park last month amid growing fears of travellers arriving from hot spots. Picture: Supplied

It means people who arrived in the NT from those regions in the past 14 days are asked to refrain from visiting remote communities, residential aged care or disability facilities.

At this stage there is no enforcement of the recommendations.

The Mutitjulu Community Aboriginal Corporation (MCAC) general manager, Glenn Irvine, said the organisation had written to the NT Government and Voyages requesting the cancellation of flights coming in to Yulara from Brisbane temporarily.

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He said if flights are not paused MCAC would request for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to temporarily close.

“Given the situation in Brisbane, we have requested for flights to be paused just for Friday this week, and Monday of next week just while the situation is clarified and more properly assessed in Brisbane,” Mr Irvine said.

He said if the request was not fullfilled MCAC would look to closing the park.

“We’ve spoken with the National Park Management and we’ve been assured that the National Park would support us in closing the National Park if we requested that.”

Traditional owners blockaded the entrance to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park last month in protest of Parks Australia for refusing to close the park despite growing fears of tourists arriving from hot spots.

Mr Irvine said MCAC’S request was “to ensure the safety of the people of Mutitjulu”.

“Given that we have the aged care … working a pause on the flights as the situation works out is our position at this point,” he said.

He said the recent advice to travellers was “concerning”.

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“It’s not technically a hotspot but obviously it’s a cause of concern.

The Centralian Advocate has contacted National Parks Australia and Voyages for comment.

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