Rural doctors back Premier’s call from grey nomads to stay away

The Spirit of Tasmania ferries will undertake extra sailings next week to get Tasmanians home and grey nomads off island.

EXTRA Spirit of Tasmania ferry sailings are scheduled to get Tasmanians home and holiday-makers off island as rural doctors echo the Premier’s blunt message to grey nomads still thinking about touring despite the coronavirus clampdown – park up the van.

Premier Peter Gutwein has directed TT-Line to prioritise its bookings to ensure that only Tasmanians returning, freight and those travellers who have met essential traveller or exemption criteria, are able to board the ferries in Melbourne.

“TT-Line will also contact all mainland caravan and motorhome bookings and advise them that if they don’t have a permanent address in Tasmania, they will not meet the self-isolation rules,” Mr Gutwein said.

He said the ferry operator, along with Biosecurity Tasmania and Tasmania Police, were enforcing the 14 day self-isolation requirements on all other non-essential travellers at ferry and airports.

“With the necessary measures to close commercial accommodation including our caravan parks and camping grounds we have recognised that there has been some difficulty for visitors in campervans and motorhomes in particular to organise travel back to the mainland,” he said.

“TT-Line have scheduled additional day sailings and have increased the capacity on the vessel to assist with getting people home with additional sailings next week.”

In turn, the deadline for caravan parks to close to non-permanent residents has been extended from Sunday until Wednesday.

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Rural Doctors Association of Australia President John Hall said reports that visitors in caravans and motorhomes were still “roaming throughout the bush” were disturbing.

“We have had reports of convoys of grey nomads moving out into rural communities and quite frankly, that’s not acceptable,” Dr Hall said.

“They are draining the local resources when it comes to both medical supplies and groceries.

“Many rural towns are finding it hard enough to resupply, without an influx of travellers adding to the burden.

“And most importantly, they will be potentially putting a significant strain on rural hospitals.”

There are 43 caravan parks in Tasmania.

RELATED NEWS: TT-Line contacting and cancelling caravan and motorhome bookings

Discovery Holiday Parks is lobbying the government to exempt cabin accommodation from the caravan park closure rules.

Discovery Holiday Parks said cabins provided better self-isolation accommodation than hotels and motels.

“The industry agrees to shutting down camp grounds and shared facilities within parks, and most parks had put these measures in place already,” the group said.

“Seven hundred Tasmanians permanently live in caravan parks. This sweeping decision of the Tasmanian Government will likely see many caravan parks close down, and these residents potentially becoming homeless.”