Coronavirus: Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson ‘not in breach of travel ban’

Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson has denied breaching COVID-19 travel guidelines.

Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson. Picture: AAP

Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson has rejected the concerns of locals on the state’s east coast that he had breached the state’s strict COVID-19 travel guidelines by staying there.

Senator Whish-Wilson posted on Facebook that he had “for all intents and purposes been living in Bicheno since December”, though he maintained a residence in Launceston, and was therefore not in breach of the Tasmanian lockdown laws.

His presence in the town had become an issue for some locals, he said, after they took photos of him in his home and asked questions via social media about his presence in Bicheno.

“This obviously concerned me so I self-reported to Tasmania police this morning to clear up any community anxieties and make a public statement on this issue,” he wrote.

Police confirmed he had complied with the laws around ­accommodation.

Senator Whish-Wilson told The Australian that COVID-19 had created “heightened fear and ­anxiety” in smaller communities across Australia.

“People feel they have limited risk in a small community of getting the virus, and anyone coming in from anywhere poses a risk,” he said.

Former NSW arts minister Don Harwin was forced to resign from his cabinet position last week after he was fined $1000 for being at his central coast holiday home in breach of the state’s laws on non-essential travel because of the ­coronavirus.