Trans-Tasman bubble agreement finalised

Australia and New Zealand have finalised a deal to establish a travel bubble between the trans-Tasman neighbours.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scarr have told Transport Minister Michael McCormack that they were “very pleased” with the announcement and want to see planes back in the air across the Tasman. Picture: Qantas

Australia and New Zealand have reached an agreement to establish a travel bubble between the two nations.

The development follows New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern this week confirming she was open to individual agreements with state governments.

The deal will enable New Zealanders to fly to NSW and the Northern Territory from 12.01am on Friday, October 16 – one day before the NZ’s general election.

Transport Minister Michael McCormack on Friday announced the first stage of the landmark arrangement after months of talks between the trans-Tasman neighbours.

“This will allow New Zealanders and other residents in New Zealand who have not been in an area designated as a COVID-19 hotspot in NZ in the preceding 14 days to travel quarantine free to Australia,” he said.

“It is three days with less than three cases.

“I know that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner welcome this indeed.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: “As much as we would hate to admit it, I think we miss each other”. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

A travel bubble was set to be established as early as July but Melbourne’s second wave of coronavirus cases and an outbreak in Auckland derailed talks.

Now, the one-way travel arrangement will free up an additional 325 places in hotel quarantine each week for travellers returning to Sydney.

“This trans-Tasman bubble means there are going to be more places open for more Australians to come home from abroad,” Mr McCormack said.

Australian Border Force will also be at airports to collect additional information for contact tracing from arriving New Zealanders, who health experts say pose a low risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Mr McCormack said any state or territory that imposes travel restrictions consistent with the Commonwealth-based definition of hotspot will be able to participate.

He on Friday held talks with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall, whose state is expected to be the next to join the travel bubble.

“If Queensland were to agree to this definition, around an additional 250 quarantine places could be freed up, allowing Australians from other world locations to arrive in Brisbane,” Mr McCormack said.

“If Western Australia wants to avail themselves of this, they only have to say the word and I’m sure it will be made possible.”

Senator Birmingham thanked those within the industry and New Zealand government for getting the plan off the ground. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

But as to when Australians will be able to travel to NZ, Mr McCormack said that was “very much in Prime Minister Ardern’s court”.

“We want to make sure that there is two way travel and that would be something that I will leave to those negotiations between the two prime ministers,” he said.

Earlier in the week, Ms Ardern said she hoped Australians could travel to New Zealand by Christmas.

Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said the deal offered a glimmer of hope, in what has been an incredibly tough year for Australia’s tourism industry.

“Australia’s tourism industry wants to stand on its own two feet as soon as possible and restarting some quarantine-free international travel is a significant step towards this,” Senator Birmingham said.

“It is also recognition of the comparable success both our countries have had in suppressing and managing COVID-19.”

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and Virgin Australia chief executive Paul Scurrah are understood to have told Mr McCormack that they were “very pleased” with the announcement.

The Federal Government is also in discussions with Pacific Island countries.

Originally published as Trans-Tasman bubble agreement finalised