Three Victorians and one American are among 70 people granted specialist skills exemptions to enter Tasmania in past week

New data reveals the number of exemptions granted to specialist workers to bypass Tasmania’s tough quarantine rules in the past week — and some have travelled from Australia’s current COVID-19 hotspot.

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THREE Victorians and one person from the United States are among 70 specialist workers granted exemptions to Tasmania’s border restrictions to enter the state in the past week.

Data provided to the Mercury from the State Control Centre from July 16-23 reveals the three workers from Victoria were for the aeronautical industry, telecoms infrastructure, and maintenance and repair of specialist equipment.

The worker from the US had already completed two weeks of quarantine at their original port of arrival.

Of the remaining specialist workers, 27 were from Queensland, 16 from NSW, seven from South Australia, four from Western Australia, one from ACT, and 11 Tasmanian residents who had travelled interstate for work.

Decisions over who is granted an exemption to quarantine rules rests with Police Commissioner Darren Hine, who is acting as state controller during the coronavirus pandemic.

Darren Hine. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“As part of the exemption process applicants must declare whether they have not been to Victoria or other affected regions or premises in the 14 days before travel,’’ a State Control Centre spokeswoman said.

“The approved applications related to a range of industries including marine, maintenance and repair of equipment, mining, construction and agriculture.”

Everyone coming to Tasmania must register to travel to the state using the G2G pass, which was launched last week, with anyone previously approved to enter Tasmania required to resubmit their application.

Labor and unions have criticised the process of exemptions, with Labor concerned a Right to Information request it made about how it is decided who is deemed an essential worker was rejected.

Labor building and construction spokeswoman Jen Butler claimed there was a “veil of secrecy” over the granting of special exemptions.

Jen Butler. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

“We’re going to keep asking for this information,’’ she said.

“We think it’s in the public interest what it is to be granted a special exemption for interstate workers.”

Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union Tasmania organiser Chris Clark said many Tasmanians believed the state’s closed borders meant anyone entering the state must isolate for 14 days, but he said that wasn’t the case due to the exemptions.

Premier Peter Gutwein has previously said the decisions to grant exemptions were made at “arm’s length from my government and my ministers”.

Employers were required to provide written confirmation that the “appropriate skills were not available in Tasmania”.

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