Qantas says no direct SA flights to NT while Chief keeps border closed
QANTAS will not reinstate direct flights to Darwin from Adelaide while Chief Minister Michael Gunner keeps the Northern Territory border with South Australia closed
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Qantas will not reinstate direct flights to Darwin from Adelaide while Chief Minister Michael Gunner keeps the Northern Territory border with South Australia closed.
SA Premier Steven Marshall opened his state’s borders yesterday with the NT and WA sparking an outcry by peak Territory business and industry groups for Chief Minister Gunner to do likewise.
Mr Gunner has dismissed the calls and said the borders would remain shut and he would make an announcement about his plans on Friday.
MORE TOP NEWS
NT makes history and becomes first in nation to officially eradicate coronavirus
Police investigating alleged altercation between CLP Senator and her chief-of-staff
Revealed: Cost of prepping Inpex village and NT hospitals for COVID-19
Qantas said it would not be making changes to its schedule “at this time.”
“The border lift is not reciprocal so there are still restrictions in place for return flights,” the company said.
“We are constantly monitoring the situation as it evolves and will add flights as we see restrictions lift and demand increase.”
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has warned of avoidable mass job losses in tourism and hospitality if the border lockdowns continue. He says any state or territory leader who refuses to reopen their borders must release the scientific advice on which the decision is based.
It is an area the Gunner Government has come under fire from the media with questions raised about whether the NT’s Chief Health officer Hugh Heggie is being deliberately kept away from the media to prevent him from having to answer border closure questions.
Health Minister Natasha Fyles was adamant the NT Government was not hiding Mr Heggie from the media.
She attributed Mr Heggie’s unavailability to the huge demands he had in dealing with a coronavirus free Northern Territory.
Mr Birmingham pointed to new data from Tourism Research Australia to emphasise the magnitude of the problem facing the Territory’s tourism industry.
“With state borders gradually being reopened, thanks to the ongoing successful suppression of COVID-19, domestic travel will go a long way to getting tourism businesses back on their feet and local economies moving again,” Mr Birmingham said.
“While our international borders remain necessarily closed, enormous opportunity exists to harness the potential of Australians holidaying at home.
“International tourism is usually worth $45.2 billion to our economy each year. However, Australians like to travel, and last year we spent $65.2 billion on travel overseas.
“From domestic interstate travel data, Northern Territory had 1.7 million interstate visitors in the year ending December 2019 worth $2.2 billion to the NT economy. More than 772,200 interstate visitors came to Darwin during this period spending $953.5 million and staying an average of five nights.
“Beyond the immediate recovery, when we return to finalising our Tourism 2030 Strategy, I am determined that indigenous Tourism be a bigger priority for the future.
“The stories of the oldest living culture in the world should be anchored in the experiences our nation shares with cultural tourists from around the world.
“Exceptional indigenous owned and operated tourism businesses like Nitmiluk Tours and Cicada Lodge have added depth and vibrancy to our tourism offering in recent years.
“There’s still nothing like Australia for adventure, nature, food and wine, outdoor experiences and vibrant cities. There is also nothing like Australia in terms of our health response to COVID-19, and the opportunity our management of the pandemic presents to give a cautious travelling public confidence that Australia is safe to travel around.”
NEW OFFER: Get amazing Sennheiser earbuds (RRP: $499) with NT News subscription deal
Both Territory Alliance and the CLP say opening the borders would be a lifeline for the tourism sector and other businesses, and leaving the opening date until mid to late July, as Mr Gunner has suggested, would mean missing out on what’s left of an “economically critical” dry season.
‘I tried to save him’: Uncle jumped into septic tank to rescue toddler
Family members have shared the moment the boy was pulled for the tank – which the inquest has now identified as ‘non-compliant’ and also as needing repairs five years ago.
‘Tragedy is mounting’: Stabbing marks seventh alleged DV death in five months
A woman who was fatally stabbed in Lajamanu is the seventh person in the Top End to be killed in an alleged domestic violence-related incident since June.