Coronavirus: Reopen state ‘or north Queensland tourism operators at grave risk’

Struggling north Queensland tourism operators have pleaded with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to open the state’s borders before their peak winter season.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in question time on Wednesday. Picture: AAP

Struggling north Queensland tourism operators have pleaded with Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk to open the state’s borders before their peak winter season, saying some will not survive if the travel ban lasts until September or beyond.

Ms Palaszczuk on Wednesday strongly defended her decision to keep the borders shut for possibly months to come, arguing she would make “no excuses for protecting the lives of Queenslanders”.

Federal Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said “from a medical point of view, I can’t see why the borders are still closed”, but Queensland Chief Health ­Officer Jeannette Young said she was concerned about continued community transmission of the virus in NSW and Victoria.

Dr Young said it was impossible to give the tourism sector a definite date for the border to reopen, but it was “more realistic” for the industry to plan for September rather than the tentative July 10 date set by the government’s written “roadmap”. She said it was possible the border might reopen later than September, adding she ideally wanted to see four weeks of zero community transmission in NSW and Victoria before the state was reopened.

The tourism industry was shocked on Monday when Ms Palas­zczuk said, for the first time, the border might not reopen until September.

Cairns Chamber of Commerce vice-president Matthew Tickner said if the border remained closed until September or beyond, the ailing far north Queensland city would miss its most valuable tourism season and it could be the “final straw that breaks many of our smaller tourism operators”.

“The curve has been flattened, but it now appears that we are being told to completely eradicate the virus before restrictions are lifted — this is non-sensible,” Mr Tickner said.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said Ms Palaszczuk should stick with the original July 10 date proposed by the government’s own roadmap, to give the tourism industry certainty. Tourism Minister Kate Jones declined an interview, but said in a statement she shared the tourism industry’s desire to reopen the borders.