Coronavirus: Bushfires top of mind as Scott Morrison pushes premiers on borders

Scott Morrison has demanded premiers provide certainty to Australians about when they will open and close their borders.

‘It’s quite reasonable that people would expect that there is some certainty or at least some process about how premiers are making decisions about when they close and open borders,’ Scott Morrison said on Friday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison has demanded premiers provide certainty to Australians about when they will open and close their borders, amid warnings firefighters must be able to travel between jurisdictions during the next bushfire season.

With industry crying out for a national code or framework setting out steps that would trigger border removals, the Prime Minister said there had been “some resistance” to the idea from the states but constructive suggestions had been made.

“It’s quite reasonable that people would expect that there is some certainty or at least some process about how premiers are making decisions about when they close and open borders. Now, personally, I think the way that NSW and Victoria went about that process provided the best model,” Mr Morrison said.

“States and territories, I can assure you, though, have been very adamant about their sovereignty when it comes to who sets their borders.”

There is growing frustration from business about the ad hoc approach to border closures, which some industry leaders say are partly in place for political purposes.

Before the second wave of coronavirus in Victoria, it and NSW were the only states not to have closed their borders. The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has never recommended state border closures to national cabinet.

Border communities are also suffering, with some residents unable to access medical care or go to work. Mr Morrison acknowledged a raft of issues needed to be fixed, particularly in border communities in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and NSW.

“Given the way the pandemic continues, who knows where we will be in November or December of this year? But you know that during bushfire season we have to move bushfire fighters between jurisdictions. There are ADF movements that occur across jurisdictions,” he said. “There are a range of quite complicated issues that could be experienced if those issues aren’t resolved.”

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the country must have a framework around border closures and lockdowns, as well as an agreed set of definitions on COVID-19 terms such as “cluster” or “community transmission”.

“ACCI is calling for a new road map to be drafted at the national cabinet level. Our current roadmap expired in July and has been overtaken by the Victorian outbreak,” the chamber’s chief executive James Pearson said.

“Businesses are telling us they can’t function and they can’t play their proper part in suppressing the virus when they don’t know what the rules are and how long they’ll be around for. They need clearly defined rules on border restrictions and gatherings of people.”

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said states needed to stop trying to outdo each other by “endlessly trying to impose tougher border restrictions not supported by either facts or common sense”.

“The border closures need to be better co-ordinated and better thought through,” he said.

Australian Tourism Industry Council executive director Simon Westaway said there was a “political driver” behind some border decisions, pointing to Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s declaration this week that some hard border controls would remain for the next 18 months.

“Let’s have a discussion about health passports, about COVID testing if that’s what’s required. If you’ve had a demonstrated period of no community transmission, that’s a clear signal other health measures can be applied and borders reopened,” he said.