Chief Minister Michael Gunner finally hints at NT borders reopening date, but tourism sector sceptical

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has given his strongest indication yet that the NT’s borders could open by August, flagging the improving coronavirus situations in NSW and Victoria.

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has given his strongest indication yet that the NT’s borders could open by August, flagging the improving coronavirus situations in NSW and Victoria.

It comes as tourism operators say Territorians exploring their own backyard is a “bandaid” solution that won’t keep their businesses alive, as at least 60 per cent of domestic visitors come from interstate.

Mr Gunner has remained adamant NT’s borders won’t open until the threat of community transmission in NSW and Victoria subsides.

In the absence of massive spikes in coronavirus cases in the southern states, despite easing lockdown measures, Mr Gunner yesterday signalled the NT could see “those dates come forward”.

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Chief Minister Michael Gunner has finally hinted at NT border open dates. Picture: Che Chorley

The 60-to-90 day heads up prior to reopening requested by the tourism industry may also be scrapped with Mr Gunner saying a two month notice period would mean “keeping the border shut longer than I need to”.

“I want the borders open as soon as possible to, I was going to wait until it is safe to do so,” he said.

A 60-day notice period would mean the borders could open by August if Mr Gunner makes a decision within days.

If he brings the notice period forward, as he has indicated, there is a chance it could be earlier but Mr Gunner continues to play his cards close to his chest.

It comes as Western Australia yesterday notched six new cases of coronavirus and South Australia broke its 19- day streak of no cases after a Victorian traveller tested positive. The cases in WA are from crew members of a live export ship that docked in Fremantle.

But the possibility of earlier than expected easing of border restrictions has not filled tourism operators with confidence with some estimating the sector will be on its knees for at least 12 months regardless.

Tourism Central Australia chairman Patrick Bedford said the industry needed as much lead in time as possible.

Tourism Central Australia chairman Patrick Bedford, who owns a tour company and two accommodation businesses in Alice Springs, said the industry needed as much lead in time as possible and operators needed a “solid date” in order to drum up interest and work out if it would be viable to come out of hibernation.

He said there also wasn’t certainty that domestic visitors would return immediately, beyond the grey nomads that were “itching to return to the NT” due to the widespread financial impacts of coronavirus.

Mr Bedford said intra-Territory travel was only a “bandaid solution”.

Data from Tourism NT revealed 60 per cent of the NT’s 1.6 million domestic travellers in 2019 were from interstate.

Marcus Williams, the owner-operator of Pyndan Camel Tracks, said the pandemic had hurt him financially but he was happy to wait until the NT Government believed it safe to open the borders.

In the caravan and camping sector that spikes to 75 per cent, equating to a total of 1.79 million nights spent in the NT by self-drive interstate travellers, according to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.

“There is a very valid concern among tourism operators at the moment that the longer the borders stay closed, the less chance they have of recuperating their peak season,” Caravan Industry executive Madeleine Sawyer said.

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Pyndan Camel Tracks owner-operator Marcus Williams, who has been in business for 20 years, said the pandemic had hurt him financially, as it had all other operators, but he was happy to wait until the NT Government believed it safe to open the borders.

“I’ve had a cry a couple of times about how all of a sudden my income sort of stopped,” he said.

“(But) I would much rather my business close than have coronavirus come into the Territory. “I don’t want anybody to die just because of my bank balance.”