Welcome back ACT
THE opening of borders to Canberra holiday-makers will equate to a $1 million weekly boost for struggling Far Northern business.
It’s hoped a relaxing of restrictions will pave the way for an opening of the NSW/ Queensland border at the end of the month.
ACT border restrictions will be lifted at 1am on Friday.
Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said people coming to Queensland from the ACT once borders had reopened would be required to fly rather than drive.
By driving, visitors would be travelling through NSW, which was a designated
COVID hotspot.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive officer Mark Olsen said the decision was a “sensible and measured” way forward.
“The CHO has been true to her commitment that where there is no community transmission the border will reopen,” he said.
“At its peak the ACT brings 1000 visitors a week to Cairns and that’s worth $1 million a week to our community.”
He said the border opening at the start of ACT school holidays was well-timed.
“We can open the door to those thousands of visitors a week that would normally be here during our peak season out of the ACT,” he said.
Mr Olsen hoped a review and reopening of Queensland’s border with New South Wales would soon follow.
“The Premier has been consistent all the way through … we hope at the end of this month at the very latest the Premier is able to review and set a date for the road map for the reopening,” he said.
“It’s important to any destination, the Gold Coast, the Whitsundays and of course Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.
“It’s a $300 million a year injection that comes from New South Wales. We have been without them way too long and it’s starting to hurt now,” he said.
“The best thing for business is to trade.”
There were no new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Queensland on Friday. Queensland’s total number of active cases held firm at 25. In comparison, New South Wales health officials confirmed 6 new cases on Friday while in Victoria there were 45 new cases reported.