Aussies bypassing Qld’s tough border measures by coming into NT to quarantine at Howard Springs

VICTORIANS and other Australians are bypassing Queensland’s harsh border measures by quarantining in the Northern Territory, the Chief Minister has confirmed

VICTORIANS and other Australians are bypassing Queensland’s harsh border measures by quarantining in the Northern Territory, the Chief Minister has said.

At a press conference this morning Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the Territory “supported free movement” in the country and said “a number of people” had opted to quarantine at the Howard Springs facility in the Top End to enter into Queensland.

It’s understood this includes Victorians who need to go into Queensland on compassionate grounds, such as funerals, but find it easier to do two weeks at Howard Springs rather than wait for bureaucrats in the Sunshine State to process their paperwork.

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The Northern Territory, throughout the coronavirus crisis, has not had a policy of turning people around at the border due to different advice around the legalities of those measures.

“We’ve had different advice to others around turn backs and we’ve obviously gone through the 14 day quarantine policy process, which is the best in class and that is seeing some people choose to quarantine here before moving into Queensland,” Mr Gunner said.

The NT News recently revealed the Territory’s health and welfare-led quarantine system has allowed a “small number” of people to leave the Howard Springs quarantine facility, under strict conditions, on compassionate grounds.

There has not been a single case of coronavirus recorded at the Howard Springs quarantine facility and the NT is considered, under the technical definition, to have eradicated the virus.

Mr Gunner said he had raised the issue of people bypassing border measures of other states by coming into the NT, and at this stage there has not been undue pressure put on the Howard Springs facility.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner speaking at a press conference. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

“It’s a little niggle rather than being a major problem,” he said.

“If it was pressure, I’d be raising it more strongly.”

Queensland on Tuesday revealed it would throw open its borders to five New South Wales Shires from next weekend.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the shires of Byron, Ballina, the City of Lismore, Richmond Valley, which includes Casino and Evans Head, and Glen Innes would be added to the border zone from 1am on October 1.

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The Chief Minister also said about 300 people a week were coming into the Northern Territory in order to live here, with returning Territorians among them.

It comes as Charles Darwin University researches have developed a survey to provide a better understanding of COVID-19’s impact on population migration patterns into and out of the NT.

CDU Northern Institute demographer Fiona Shalley said researchers were interested in why people were in the Territory now.

“It’s about our population, particularly anyone who has newly arrived – and whether they think the Territory is a good place to be during the current uncertain times,” she said.

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