Coronavirus: Tourism pins hopes on open borders

Queensland is preparing to reopen its border to Greater Sydney residents in a move the tourism industry is hoping will signal an end to their frustrations.

The travel industry is counting on a relaxation of Queensland’s border ban on Greater Sydney to rejuvenate domestic tourism. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Queensland is preparing to reopen its border to Greater Sydney residents, despite six COVID cases remaining under investi­gation in the city.

Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk will receive a final briefing from Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young on Thursday morning before announcing her decision.

The Australian understands NSW health authorities are confident of the origins of the six “mystery” cases and have shared that information with their Queensland counterparts.

Queensland’s borders have been closed to Greater Sydney residents since December 21, when a COVID cluster in the northern beaches blew out to 68.

Other states and territories did the same, but only Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland remain closed to the city, while Victoria has singled out one local government area as off limits.

On Wednesday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she could see no reason why border restrictions remained within Australia.

“At this point in time, as has been the case for quite a few weeks, there is no place in Australia that’s deemed to be a hotspot so if you carry that science and data to a public policy position, why would you have internal borders?” she said.

“Why would you prevent your citizens from being able to freely move around their own country?”

Airlines were eagerly awaiting the Queensland announcement, before adding more flights to their schedules. A Qantas spokeswoman indicated it would increase services only if borders reopened without restrictions.

Australian Tourism Industry Council executive director Simon Westaway said it was time for the “senseless border merry-go-round” to stop. “Frankly, we have in essence zero levels of community transmission of the virus,” he said. “We’re inherently frustrated as an industry. The summer holiday season has been shot and logic has clearly gone out the window a number of times.”

Mr Westaway said it was absolutely vital state and territory leaders found a way to keep borders open so the domestic travel industry could get back on its feet.

“It’s pretty clear international borders aren’t going anywhere and domestic tourism is the backbone of the industry,” he said. “Hopefully in coming weeks we’ll see greater logic (from leaders).”

Brisbane Airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff was also hopeful of better times ahead after passenger numbers fell to a 26-year low in 2020. “We look forward to welcoming Greater Sydney to Queensland as soon as possible, and will continue to put the health and safety of staff, passengers and visitors to Brisbane Airport our top priority,” he said.

Ms Palaszczuk planned to meet tourism bosses in the far north Queensland city of Cairns on Thursday to discuss the impact of the pandemic on operations.

“I just want to talk to them again about how they’re going, what happened over the recent school holidays and what more they think we can do,” she said.

At the same time, Dr Young said Cairns would be among six hubs to get first access to a COVID vaccine, along with Townsville, the Gold and Sunshine coasts and north and south Brisbane.

Healthcare workers and quarantine staff would be first in line, then people living and working in aged and disability care. People aged over 60, and those with chronic illnesses would be next, followed by all adults and, after consultation, children under 18.