Australians push travel plan

WELLINGTON: A plan by the Australian Government and tourism groups to restart Australia’s battered travel sector aims to have state border restrictions lifted by December 1 and a transtasman travel bubble up and running by November.

A tourism taskforce comprising Tourism Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Flight Centre and other industry leaders has outlined its timeline for restarting the country’s tourism industry.

But a spokesman for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said no decisions had been made about transtasman quarantinefree travel.

Under the Australian plan, reported by media across the

Tasman, hard state borders would come down by December 1.

New Zealanders would begin travelling quarantinefree to Australia by November, Sydney being the likely first port to reopen to travellers.

It is then expected Australians will be able to travel to New Zealand without needing to quarantine in January or February.

The taskforce also wants hotel quarantine caps to be removed by March 1.

It has also set a timeline for the return of cruises.

It would like domestic expedition cruises for 300 people or fewer to start in November before the return of bigger ships and trips to New Zealand and the Pacific.

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry executive chairman John Hart told The Australian the first stage would involve New Zealanders travelling to Australia.

‘‘Whether they are New Zealanders or repatriated Australians doesn’t matter.

‘‘It’s about having a quarantinefree entry into Australia.

‘‘We hope then the response will be New Zealand says ‘we’re happy for it to happen the other way as well’, acknowledging it’s probably going to start with the South Island rather than the North Island given they’ve still got active cases in the north.’’

Ms Ardern said on Monday it was ‘‘possible’’ transtasman travel could happen by December under a statebystate approach that was likely to begin with New South Wales.

The Tasmanian Government has said it may reopen its borders to South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory,

Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory — and possibly NSW — by the end of October, pending public health advice.

Uncertainty lingers over the future of other state border restrictions.

West Australian Health Minister Roger Cook would not be drawn on a date WA’s borders would reopen to other states and territories.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has reopened her state to ACT residents but not yet those from NSW.

On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said it was not ‘‘good enough’’ Australians could not move freely within their own country. — The New Zealand Herald