Australian state border restrictions

[N860CR]

They buy it because unfortunately it continues to work. They have locked the doos so %#^*# tight. Problem of course is how do we extract ourselves from under the doona!


It's life, Jim, but but not as we know it!

Cheers skip

It does work. The same way many countries closely located all seem to bizarrely hate each other. The difference is we are not multiple small countries. We are one.

The fact that McGowen said this week “NSW remains extreme risk because I don’t want WA residents going there to leave the country” should be causing a civil war. It’s abhorrent. And possibly represents the lowest point in this country’s history.

 

[Lynda2475]

WA voted him in with an unprecedented majority, leaving no significant opposition to require him to negotiate policy. They now suffer the consequence of deciding an election on one issue. If the populace truely regret that decision we should see some protest action, but we are seeing more protest in Vic that has actually begun opening up, and crickets from the west coast.

 

[oz_mark]

Quoting my WA family here ‘the stupid bogans are the ones holding us back here, let us out!!’

Well, there's a lot of them, and the premier remains quite popular, so what to do....

 

[MARTINE]

Good morning people. This is a travel thread - even though border rules are frustrating. I live in Melbourne and feel/felt the pain.

We’re all getting (some) more freedoms and the skys are opening up…it’s Cup day here (pls don’t start the public holiday debate) , 30 degrees and there’s a real sense of optimism…

 

[drron]

Most Tasmanians are not clamoring for open borders test free.Of those who approve opening borders a lot of them want the pre entry covid test. Most of the medical staff here are in those 2 groups -and most patients who express an opinion.
The pre entry test is down on the roadmap as being reviewed in 4 weeks or earlier so by mid January I suspect it will be gone unless quite a few positive cases arise.

 

[antycbr]

Most Tasmanians are not clamoring for open borders test free.Of those who approve opening borders a lot of them want the pre entry covid test. Most of the medical staff here are in those 2 groups -and most patients who express an opinion.
The pre entry test is down on the roadmap as being reviewed in 4 weeks or earlier so by mid January I suspect it will be gone unless quite a few positive cases arise.

Clearly though the test is theatre. Why do
Tasmanian passport holders have some sort of cloak that prevents them getting infected if they go to Melbourne for a weekend and can return without a test?

 

[RooFlyer]

Clearly though the test is theatre. Why do
Tasmanian passport holders have some sort of cloak that prevents them getting infected if they go to Melbourne for a weekend and can return without a test?

Its been discussed before.

You seem to have a thing about the situation in Tas - maybe just accept that its a situation of succesful management of the pandemic locally - 'theatre' and all. Luck I think played a big part - we had 3 imported cases, loose in the community for various periods, yet no spread.

 

[antycbr]

Its been discussed before.

You seem to have a thing about the situation in Tas - maybe just accept that its a situation of succesful management of the pandemic locally - 'theatre' and all. Luck I think played a big part - we had 3 imported cases, loose in the community for various periods, yet no spread.

Sorry but I’m allowed to have an opinion as my parents live there and I’d like to see them.

I don’t appreciate being told I have a “thing”. If that’s the case we may as well shut the forum down as lots of people have “things” - eg lack of award availability.

 

[Lynda2475]

Doesn’t make it ok.

I didnt say it was, but you get what you vote for and silence makes you complicit with the situation.

How many are lobbying their local member? Protesting for change? Not enough to garner any media attention.

maybe just accept that its a situation of succesful management of the pandemic locally

When you are an island with virtually non existant international arrival exposure and frequently closed domestic borders , there hasnt been much risk let alone actual positives to manage.

Now majority of the country is fully vaxed, we wont see the high levels of serious illness we had to manage before vaccination. All domestic borders should be open already. Arbitrary time limits on interstate visits isnt what will keep cases manageable, however vacination and good hygiene will reduce the amount of serious illness.

 

[AussieJasmine]

Having been stuck on the wrong side of the international border it is all frustrating, but I don't agree with all the hate slung at WA. The govt there has undeniably kept the virus out, it's saved lives and looked out for WAs interests, and has been resoundingly popular as a result. It might be a bitter pill for those of us overseas and in other states, but ultimately the govt of WA is elected to look out for WA, not the federation, and certainly not the world. I respect their stance, and if I was in McGowans position, I'd do the same. To be honest, I'm more upset with the NSW government, who failed at the critical moment and resulted in a lot of needless suffering in some of our poorest and most vulnerable communities. It's certainly made opening up more fraught and only exacerbated inter-state tensions. Overall, I think it's going to take a while to rebuild trust, both between the states and Canberra, and between the states themselves.

As far as travel is concerned, it'll be interesting to see the long term effect on Darwin. As a territory, I imagine this technically at least, gives Canberra a bit more influence over the border, and might make it more attractive to QF and others in the longer term, who might feel more protected against border closures and disputes there than in somewhere like Perth or Brissie. If the current arrangements go smoothly at Darwin, maybe it'll eventually become the hub everyone hoped against hope that it would

 

[RooFlyer]

Sorry but I’m allowed to have an opinion as my parents live there and I’d like to see them.

Sure and I’d like to visit friends, relatives and libraries in Vic, NSW and ACT, but the same rules apply to me (on return). Very annoying but I think I’ve managed to avoid narky comments on how those jurisdictions have handled things - not least of course because it’s a lot tougher for residents there!

From 14 Dec I get an easier ride than visitors if I’m less than a week away, but the converse, with opening up, is that we’ll probably get more restrictions here in Tas once Covid inevitably gets out. As Vic, NSW and ACT get freer, we will get more restrictive. That is another driver of ambivalence here about opening up and one I don’t think those ‘away’ appreciate.

 

[jakeseven7]

Clearly though the test is theatre.

Politics, nothing more. Soothe the old flock.

 

[QF WP]

Just a reminder from the Moderation team - no off topic posts and if you see one, use the "report" function at the bottom of the post, rather than commenting on it. That only adds further OT posts that need to be culled.

 

[eastwest101]

Yep - if you follow the logic then according to the Tasmanian government health advice - having a Tas drivers licence confers some special immunity to catching or transmitting Covid when in another state that only a Tasmanian drivers licence seems to offer. I wish we had known about this back in March 2020 we could have stopped Covid dead in its tracks then by issuing every person in the world with a Tas drivers licence.

Not just having a go at Tas government, as other states have had equaly or more ridiculous rules that are all about politics and convenience of enforcement rather than anythig to do with health advice/policy or assesment of risk.

The people who have really suffered are the poor sods who happen to live in communities close to state borders where schools, healthcare and employment might be on the other side of an old line drawn over 150 years ago on a colonial map.

 

[antycbr]

Seems that the issues with demographic data in City of Melbourne and City of Sydney is now getting attention as a problem for interstate travel.

Melbourne city residents face travel restriction due to outdated data

City of Melbourne residents will soon be subject to some travel restrictions because outdated population data is being used to assess vaccination levels.

www.smh.com.au

 

[RooFlyer]

Yep - if you follow the logic then according to the Tasmanian government health advice - having a Tas drivers licence confers some special immunity to catching or transmitting Covid when in another state that only a Tasmanian drivers licence seems to offer.

Sigh - again, this was discussed upthread ( or maybe in another thread). That’s a pretty funny following of ‘logic’ and has nothing to do with the reasons the Tas govt came up with this decision.

I know some other states have strictly applied the same rules to their own residents as visitors - witness the locking out of their own residents!! I’m happy that our govt has found a middle course when they hugely increase the Covid risk in this state after Dec 15. It’s going to be bloody disruptive any way.

For the various folk who don’t like the policy - it is what it is.

 

[Batterytraveller]

Seems that the issues with demographic data in City of Melbourne and City of Sydney is now getting attention as a problem for interstate travel.

Melbourne city residents face travel restriction due to outdated data

City of Melbourne residents will soon be subject to some travel restrictions because outdated population data is being used to assess vaccination levels.

www.smh.com.au

As a resident of the city of yarra, another poor performer, I have been wondering for a while if there have been some denominator issues in inner melbourne LGAs. Some of it is international residents leaving, some of it is people moving outside the ring of steel. I have a friend who works in vic.gov IT and she reports that the number of people reregistering their primary residence outside of Melbourne has been very high.

 

[Lynda2475]

The Sydney LGA denominator is definitely wrong and there are whole complexes of student accommodation in Ultimo, Chippendale, Redfern and Haymarket which are empty because only a handful of international students are still here - doubtful the real figure is as low as 71% fully vaxed. Probably also explains why Randwick LGA is also only at 77%, because all that student accommodation in and around UNSW is also largely vacant.

A more updated denominator data set from the census should be able to be used, but because too may people complete it manually we have to wait until June next year to get the population data by which time it will be incorrect again, as borders will be open and students and immigration returning.

Also given boosters officially started yesterday, they will need to make sure they aren't counting boosters as primary doses and reporting separately or that will also skew numbers.

 

[MARTINE]

Great day in Melb today….. lots of Interstate and international visitors..less than 1000 cases and……
I'm watching Delta Goodrem sing at the Cup with her band/dancers all in Jetstar livery!
priceless advertising!

 

[jakeseven7]

As a resident of the city of yarra, another poor performer, I have been wondering for a while if there have been some denominator issues in inner melbourne LGAs. Some of it is international residents leaving, some of it is people moving outside the ring of steel. I have a friend who works in vic.gov IT and she reports that the number of people reregistering their primary residence outside of Melbourne has been very high.

As with Sydney there are definitely denominator issues in Melbourne