Tas lockdown: borders stay shut, locals paid to take holidays, jobless sent picking

Tasmania will stay closed to mainlanders until December and millions of taxpayer dollars will subsidise locals to holiday and pick fruit on the island.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein says ‘we cannot run the risk of a second wave in our state’. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Tasmania will keep its borders closed until at least December, with the state government to subsidise locals to take holidays on the island and mobilise the jobless to gather harvests.

The shock measures are a sharp about-face for the Gutwein Liberal government, which had planned to create a travel bubble with other low-COVID jurisdictions this month.

Instead, the state will remain closed to all mainlanders until at least December 1, and millions of taxpayer dollars spent subsidising locals to take springtime on-island holidays.

To avert a labour crisis for fruit and vegetable growers, and minimise the need to import foreign agricultural labour, the government will also co-ordinate harvest jobs for any willing unemployed locals.

“As an island, we’ve often had to fight harder, be a little more courageous and innovative to become the internationally recognised place we are,” Mr Gutwein said. “To me that has shone through in our response to COVID.”

“We cannot run the risk of a second wave in our state and I will not put Tasmanians at risk. We must continue to make decisions that are safe, sensible, and in the best interest of our state.”

The border decision is a major blow to the state’s tourism industry, which is heavily reliant on interstate visitors, particularly as spring would normally see an up-tick in holiday-makers.

To compensate, Mr Gutwein announced measures to boost local holiday-making and business functions between September 1 and December 1.

This includes a “Make Yourself at Home” travel voucher, costing taxpayers $7.5m. “The support will provide up to $100 towards the cost of a room in commercial accommodation, or up to $50 per booking to participate in a tourism experience, whether that be a cruise, a walk or entry to an attraction,” he said.

“This initiative will support at a high level up to 25,000 bed nights or alternatively up to 50,000 tourism experiences each month.”

As well, $1.5m is to be given to schools to encourage excursions to tourism, parks or heritage sites.

The Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania reacted with dismay to the decision to keep borders shut. “We still believe the right way to go is an expanding national travel bubble among states reporting none or very few cases of COVID, to complement our local Tasmanian market,” said council chief executive Luke Martin.

“We struggle to understand why we now have to wait until December to open to states like Western Australia and South Australia, who have effectively had no community transmission for months.

“We now look to December 1 as an essential deadline to reintroduce some level of interstate activity in time for our critical post-Christmas summer visitor season.”

Mr Gutwein, whose often hard-line COVID-19 approach has won him widespread support and soaring popularity, also announced tighter screening of “essential workers” allowed in from interstate.

While temporary visa holders would be considered for essential worker status to fill 5000 agricultural jobs needed in coming months, a scheme would aim to give locals first-pick at these seasonal positions.

“With our border restrictions in place, and many Tasmanians still looking for work or for more hours, there is a significant opportunity for Tasmanians to undertake this harvest work this year,” Mr Gutwein said.

“Our fruit must be picked, our vegetables harvested and our wine grapes crushed. If it isn’t it will devastate many businesses. And before we consider essential traveller exemptions for temporary visa holders over the growing period, we need to offer this opportunity to Tasmanians first.

“We will therefore commence a campaign for Tasmanians to register their interest in being part of the labour pool for the coming season.”