Border ban: Victoria set to become more of an island than Tasmania

Victoria will be more of an island than Tasmania from midnight as NSW slams its border shut. Premier Peter Gutwein will consider the move ahead of a border announcement on Friday. LATEST >>

VICTORIA will be more of an island than Tasmania from midnight on Tuesday night when New South Wales slams shut its border to stop a second wave of COVID-19 spreading from Melbourne. 

It increases the likelihood Tasmania’s border will still open to the rest of the country on July 24 if Premier Peter Gutwein halts plans to reopen to Victoria. 

Qantas has also confirmed it will be “significantly reducing” Qantas and Jetstar flights to and from Melbourne throughout July due to the border closure.

“We’ll continue to operate limited flights for essential travel only,” the airline said in a statement.

Mr Gutwein said the situation in Victoria was “very concerning”.

“We are taking daily advice, and will provide an update on Friday,” he said.

“If the public health advice at the time, or in the immediate lead up to 24 July that it is not safe to open – we will not open.”

The State Government is looking closely at whether travellers will be able to safely transit through Melbourne to other destinations.

“We are continuing to engage with other states as well as airports,” Health minister Sarah Courtney said on Monday.

“We know that people do need to transit through Tullamarine Airport at the moment and so as we move towards opening our borders, that is a key consideration, to ensure that people that do come to Tasmania can do so in a safe way.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged all states to open their borders to NSW after it cuts off travel to Victoria for everyone but essential workers. 

Overnight the border between NSW and Victoria will close. Pictured is the Hume Freeway in Albury near the NSW border. Picture: SIMON DALLINGER

“Now that NSW has taken this decision and given where we are, there is really no excuse for any other state, apart from Victoria, to have any border closures with NSW,” she said. 

“We now anticipate that the rest of the nation will be able to deal with each other directly without any hard border closures.” 

NSW and Victoria announced the border closures on Monday morning, after crisis talks between the two premiers and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

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Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the border closure would cost jobs.

But despite previously urging states to fully reopen their borders to fast-track Australia’s economic recovery, Mr Frydenberg indicated the Commonwealth would not oppose the new border ban.

He said it was a decision state premiers were taking “based on the advice to them”. 

“I won’t second-guess that advice other than to say we obviously need to make sure that our communities are safe and the economy continues to recover,” he said. 

“There is no doubt that closed borders cost jobs but we are facing a significant spike in cases with Victoria.”