Coronavirus: ACCI proposes business plan for two-way travel with New Zealand by Christmas

Two-way travel between Australia and New Zealand would begin by Christmas under a plan being pitched to the Morrison government.

New Zealanders can travel to NSW, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory without having to quarantine but there are no similar arrangements for Aussies heading across the ditch. Picture: Brendan Radke

Two-way travel between Australia and New Zealand would begin by Christmas under a plan being pitched to the Morrison government, in a bid to inject billions of dollars into the economy and boost struggling industries.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will unveil a new trans-Tasman travel bubble proposal on Thursday, with the first flights to lift off on or around December 21 between Canberra and Wellington.

Once proven to be safe, routes would expand to other airports.

John Hart, ACCI’s head of tourism, said the plan would be sent to the Department of Home Affairs, and he was hopeful the Morrison government would allow outbound travel to New ­Zealand within weeks.

Australians must apply for exemptions to fly overseas under the current restrictions.

“Pre-COVID-19, Australia earned $45.4bn from 8.7 million visitors each year,” the ACCI’s business case states.

“The providers of services to visitors, including accommodation providers, transport operators, restaurants and cafes and retailers, all rely on these visitors for their livelihoods — 1.3 million visitors, accounting for $2.6bn, come from New Zealand.

“The return of the New Zealand market would narrow the gap of visitor traffic that would need to be filled by domestic visitors to keep tourism operators in business. This is severely limited by the one-way arrangement to some Australian states.”

New Zealanders can come to NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory without having to go into hotel quarantine under the first step of a one-way travel bubble.

More than 5500 passengers from New Zealand have arrived in Australia on 73 flights since October, but it will be up to the Ardern government to decide when to start reciprocal arrangements for Australians.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has suggested 28 days of no community transmission in Australia as a threshold ­before removing her border.

While most New Zealanders ­visiting Australia have been family members and some workers, Mr Hart said there were also government-to-government relationships and business events that needed to be boosted through travel and face-to-face contact.

“There’s a whole range of business activity that needs to be initiated now so it can bear fruit in the new year,” he said.

“What will waiting another month mean (to start two-way travel)? It will mean we miss out on that initial rush of activity in any new year, particularly in some of those critical industries, particularly around corporate travel.”

Trade and Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has said he is optimistic two-way quarantine-free travel will start by Christmas.