Premier to relax rulings

‘No logic’ to travel zone

TRAVEL and dining restrictions are expected to be eased within days as pressure mounts on the Palaszczuk Government to throw a lifeline to the state’s stricken tourism and hospitality sectors.

With the number of active COVID-19 cases plummeting to just six, the Bulletin can reveal the Government is weighing up a raft of options to allow unfettered intrastate travel and increase patron numbers in clubs, pubs and restaurants.

Restrictions were due to be eased on June 12 so people could travel up to 250km from their home and patron limits on venues increased from 10 to 20 at a time.

However, it is understood the Government is considering increasing the travel limit to 500km or removing restrictions altogether so Queenslanders can holiday in their home state during the looming school break.

The Government is also weighing up the option of allowing venues to increase their capacity to 20 people per area as long as patrons remain seated and are provided service by a specific staff member.

It comes after just four new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Queensland since Stage 1 of the Government’s road map for easing restriction began on May 15, which saw retail shopping, dining and parks reopened.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk could announce the easing of restrictions as early as today alongside the end-ofmonth review of the border closure, which is expected to remain in place.

Ahead of the announcement, tourism leaders have implored the Palaszczuk Government to ditch the planned 250km limit and allow Queenslanders to travel unhindered in the state.

The sector argues the current restrictions are costing the industry $1 billion a month and allowing Queenslanders to move around their own state would offer some respite.

Tourism icon Graham “Skroo’’ Turner, whose Queensland-based Flight Centre empire has been decimated by the complete shutdown affecting the travel industry, has branded the 250km travel zone “unfathomable”.

“There’s just no logic to it,” said Mr Turner.

“There’s no health reasons to stop people from the Gold Coast going to the Whitsundays or the (Great Barrier) reef. It’s really hard to understand the rationale.

“That (letting people travel 250km) won’t help.”

He and other industry leaders have repeated calls for a relaxation of border closures, regardless of the state of the pandemic in other states.

“We are going to see more outbreaks,” he said.

“If we’re waiting for the day where (other states) are down to zero cases before we open our borders, we are going to be waiting a long, long time.”

Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said the expanded travel zones would provide “little relief’’ to Glitter Strip tourism businesses. “Our operators are unable to properly capitalise on the drive market because visitors who would usually spend money in our theme parks, restaurants and cafes, are either unable to do so or are severely limited due to social distancing restrictions,” she said.

“There also still exists significant confusion among our operators and visitors about how to apply and adhere to the restrictions, which further impedes travel and spend.”

Looming 250km travel zones are of little comfort to the north or Outback, where vast distances and sparse populations are the norm.