NT COVID-19 road checkpoints to shut immediately, duty of travellers to know entry rules govt says

The NT’s road border checkpoints will be deactivated immediately, despite Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker indicating officers would be put back in two areas in light of hot spot declarations impacting parts of Melbourne.

THE Northern Territory’s road border checkpoints will be deactivated immediately, despite Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker indicating officers would be put back on at Kulgera and Camooweal in light of hot spot declarations impacting parts of Melbourne.

The NT government, in a press release on Saturday, announced border controls points across the Territory would cease operations immediately.

Police checkpoint at the South Australia and Northern Territory border. Picture Chloe Erlich

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The NT News has confirmed this does not include airports.

According to the statement, entry conditions to the NT will remain the same, meaning arrivals including resident must complete an online border entry form.

“It is the responsibility of all travellers to the Northern Territory to familiarise themselves with our entry requirements and to keep up to date with declared hot spots,” it stated.

“If and when future hot spots are declared, travellers will still be required to follow the directions of the chief health officer (CHO) and undertake mandatory supervised quarantine.”

The announcement comes just two days after Commissioner Chalker, as the government announced 10 suburbs of Melbourne had been declared hot spots, said he had requested the border checkpoints at Kulgera, on the South Australian border, and Camooweal, on the Queensland border, be reactivated.

Darwin Airport's border control area, where travellers are screened to see if they are free to come in or must be sent to mandatory quarantine, will remain. Picture: Che Chorley

A Secure NT spokeswoman said the decision was made to shut the road border checkpoints because most people arriving from the only current active hot spots in Melbourne are arriving by air and to arrive by road they would need to navigate through border checkpoints in other states before reaching the NT.

She said authorities had been monitoring the situation closely for a number of months and the closure of road border checkpoints had been done in consultation with medical experts and the “guidance of operational data”.

The decision was also made in order to effectively manage resources.

“The NT has invested in other digital solutions and compliance initiatives which remain in place, capturing all new arrivals,” the spokeswoman said.