‘Seamless’ trans-Tasman travel on the way after Anthony Albanese meets Chris Hipkins in NZ
Australians and New Zealanders can look forward to simplified journeys across the Tasman, potentially as early as next year, as part of a push to strengthen tourism and business.
Australians and New Zealanders travelling to each others’ countries can look forward to seamless journeys, potentially as early as next year, as part of a push to strengthen trans-Tasman tourism and business.
After a bilateral meeting in Wellington on Wednesday, Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced a working group had been put in place to examine ways in which crossing across the ditch could be simplified.
The group has been given until June 30 2024 to report back on steps to ease the process, which Mr Albanese said could include using smartgates as a “complementary” system to some aspects of border control.
The Australian on Monday revealed calls from the tourism industry to trial new entry and screening technologies to ease travel between the two countries.
The Tourism and Transport Forum suggested paper arrival cards could be replaced with digital ones, facial recognition would be used at security points to reduce queues, and domestic and international terminals could even be combined as part of the border reforms.
Mr Albanese said the idea of a trans-Tasman passport hadn’t been discussed but added: “What we are looking at is making a seamless experience of going through from country to country so that might look at, for example, how smart gates can operate and be complementary, so before you get on a plane in either country, it’s already recognised that you’re ok to come in, and therefore can just go through smart gates in a seamless way and a timely way as well.”
The plan is part of a 10 year roadmap put in place by Mr Hipkins and Mr Albanese at their annual leaders’ meeting to strengthen economic and defence ties, on the 40th anniversary of the Closer Economic Relations trade agreement (CER).
Paying tribute to the strength of the trans-Tasman bond and to the close friendship between the countries – and between he and Mr Hipkins personally – Mr Albanese said the move was the next step to bringing the countries closer after he announced fast track visas for Kiwi residents in Australia earlier this year.
Mr Albanese said already 10,000 New Zealanders had taken up the visas and he expected “many thousand more” to follow suit. “It’s the right thing to do and it was overdue,” he said.
An incredible welcome to New Zealand today. 🇦🇺🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/HRxjZZLfLK
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 26, 2023
Seamless travel will also help ease the way for businesses in both countries, who regularly cross the Tasman. “We have many business opportunities between us and the fact that business people go from country to country regularly, what we want to make is that experience is the best it can possibly be,” he said.
During their 90 minute meeting, which followed a traditional powhiri (Maori welcome) for Mr Albanese, both he and Mr Hipkins also left the door open for New Zealand to join the second pillar of AUKUS. The issue is a contentious one in NZ, amid concerns signing up to even the non nuclear side of the deal would anger China and compromise NZ’s proudly independent stance on foreign policy.
Geoffrey Miller, geopolitical analyst for the Democracy Project, told The Australian that if NZ was to become a signed up partner to AUKUS, it would be a “red line” for China, which would be certain to retaliate.
“They tolerate a lot from New Zealand, even Chris Hipkins going to NATO. But joining AUKUS would be a red line,” he said. “While NATO was focussed on Russia, AUKUS is centred on China and signing up to it would be crossing the rubicon. We’d have to be willing to take the consequences.”
But Mr Hipkins said while there was no question NZ and the AUKUS partners hold “different positions” around nuclear submarines, his government was open to holding conversations with the US, UK and Australia about New Zealand’s involvement in the pact.
Mr Albanese said while there were no plans to extend the plan beyond Aukus pillars one and two, there could still be cooperation across a range of areas, including technology and interoperability. “It makes sense for nations which cooperate defensively to have increased cooperation,” he said.
Cooperation would also include playing a more active role with the Pacific ‘family’ of island nations, amid China’s increasingly assertive push into the Indo-Pacific.
This would include offering more aid and support “without strings attached,” said Mr Albanese, announcing that next month he would welcome Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to Canberra.
Mr Albanese, who began his day performing his first hongi (Maori greeting) as he entered the NZ parliament in what he described as an ‘incredible,’ and moving traditional welcome, ended it with a Prime Ministerial dinner at Government House, with around 80 guests from the business community.
But first he and Mr Hipkins shared a beer (Steinlager) at the FIFA fan festival on Wellington’s waterfront, and watched part of the Japan vs Costa Rica game.
Mr Albanese wished NZ’s Ferns luck for the tournament. “But not if they’re playing the Matildas,” he added. “Then we’ll be rivals.”
Mr Albanese’s visit coincides with that of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who is expected to press Mr Hipkins on AUKUS and NZ’s strategic position in the Pacific.
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