Australian state border restrictions

[jakeseven7]

Various comments and reasons upthread about the time needed to ramp up flights. In the most recent case of SYD-BNE QF loaded more flights fairly quickly from a week out (from 7 Dec) from the announced start date (1 Dec) at very reasonable fares ($129+). The first week (i.e. this week) stayed relatvely expensive ($199+). It was rather later that they loaded more flights for this week, and the number of flights BNE-SYD was increased from 4 to 12 on 10 Dec, but only from 4 to 9 on 3 Dec. There are still $199 seats available in two days time.

So my suggestions would be start hunting for flights that are at least a week out from the start date of border reopening, be patient and see what more comes up, and also do that if you want or need to fly immediately after the border closure.

cheers skip

QF have now loaded about 5-6 MEL / PER flights a day. Haven't looked at SYD.

 

[CityRail]

QF have now loaded about 5-6 MEL / PER flights a day. Haven't looked at SYD.

Qantas has only added just 1 extra service on 8/12/2020, with an early morning departure at 7:05am.
I think this will be the first flight from NSW to arrive at WA.
If you are looking for a media opportunity, better book this flight.
The original flight, departing Sydney at 7:40pm, has no Economy Class seats available.
Looking further into the next week, there were only a 2 flights a day from Sydney to Perth, and even there are NO flights on the 13th December.
I think Qantas should immediately add as much flights as possible.

 

[BNEFlyer]

But no announcement on the rules for slamming it shut again, some transparency would be nice. Cant see anyone booking much in advance given Qld doesnt trust its own track and trace capabilties instead opting to use borders as their primary control.

If anyone is wondering what it would take for QLD to shut borders to NSW (or Greater Sydney at least), it's definitely more than one case. (Also have to love Newscorpse writing a headline about a decision that was not required to be made). Annastacia Palaszczuk makes Qld/ NSW border decision (news.com.au)

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

It’s probably around 10 in one day across 2 households. Seems enough to make quarantine requirement for travelers from Adelaide/SA.

 

[Kangol]

This is the most appropriate place that I can find to post the question, however if I'm in Vic metro and want to go to SA metro (and back), is there no requirement for quarantine both ways?

Just need to complete the Cross border form going into SA:

CrossBorderTravel

Then when going into Vic, fill out a Victoria border crossing permit, given that you have only been to orange and green zones:

COVID-19 border entry | COVID-19 | Service Victoria

You need to apply for a permit to enter Victoria from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand. Apply border permit online from Service Victoria website.

www.service.vic.gov.au

Or is there anything else required?

 

[Pushka]

This is the most appropriate place that I can find to post the question, however if I'm in Vic metro and want to go to SA metro (and back), is there no requirement for quarantine both ways?

Just need to complete the Cross border form going into SA:

CrossBorderTravel

Then when going into Vic, fill out a Victoria border crossing permit, given that you have only been to orange and green zones:

COVID-19 border entry | COVID-19 | Service Victoria

You need to apply for a permit to enter Victoria from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand. Apply border permit online from Service Victoria website.

www.service.vic.gov.au

Or is there anything else required?

My understanding is that you are good to go on both sides as long as you don’t go into the Red zones (just one I think) in SA. You will need to do the online pass for SA and Victoria but they are a snap.

 

[CityRail]

Here are the latest restrictions from each of the states:

Recap of state border restrictions

All states of have closed their borders to anyone from Sydney's "hot spot" areas in the northern beaches council area. Here's a summary of the additional state border restrictions as they stand:

• WA Travel from NSW is no longer permitted to WA unless you are an exempt traveller. This also applies to anyone who may have been in NSW since December 11 and hasn’t completed 14 days in a lower risk state or territory.
• SA People travelling from Sydney's northern beaches, Penrith and Lavender Bay must self-quarantine for 14 days and get a COVID-19 test.
• Qld Anyone entering the state from NSW must obtain a border pass and those from Sydney or central NSW must be tested and quarantine until they receive a negative result.
• Vic All travellers from NSW will need a permit. People from Sydney and the central coast must get a permit, get tested and isolate until they get a negative test.
• Tas Anyone from Sydney must quarantine for 14 days. Essential travellers can apply for an exemption from quarantine.
• NT Anyone from the northern beaches will need to quarantine immediately.
• ACT Anyone in the territory who has been in the northern beaches area since last Friday is advised to quarantine for 14 days and get tested.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Not sure where your advice came from but missing things re Northern Beaches.

Complete consistency of approach among states is still elusive. SA has some boltons as you note and WA gone back to treating states as hotspots, Qld and Vic announced yesterday that NSW Central Coast (not Central NSW) will be added to their hotspots.

The main consistency is that every state, and the NT, now requires some form of declaration for people entering from NSW.

Qld, Vic and Tas currently have ‘no entry unless exempt’ for visitors from NSW Northern Beaches LGA (and the boltons). ACT says ‘must quarantine’ for people from Northern Beaches.

Very hard to keep up. Websites not always keeing up with announcements.

Edit: just watching Vic announce extension of hotspot ban to Sydney, Suspect Qld and SA will follow suit very soon. Vic also announced border controls similar to Qld in the past.

Edit 2: SA has announced 14 days quarantine extends to arrivals from anywhere in Greater Sydney, anyone arriving from NSW gets tested, checkpoints in place at border.

Edit 3: Predictably, Qld has fallen into line and announced pretty much the same ban as Vic. Qld has adopted the NSW definition of greater Sydney.

cheers skip

 

[jb747]

Oh joy.

I jokingly said, when we were waiting in a queue for 90 minutes to get across the NSW border at Albury, that within a few months, Victoria would return the favour. Dan must have been listening. Dividing a combined city in half again.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Oh joy.

I jokingly said, when we were waiting in a queue for 90 minutes to get across the NSW border at Albury, that within a few months, Victoria would return the favour. Dan must have been listening. Dividing a combined city in half again.

Which city?

Travellers from Sydney are now banned from midnight (returning Vic residents have an extra 24 hours). So city treated as a whole again

Border towns can move freely.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Border towns can move freely.

Politician speak meaning residents can cross the border without paying - Vic announced a hard border crossing (the inverse of what NSW had before) - time will tell is the delays are longer or shorter with Vic Police running it. Scomo just issued a soothing noises video and mentioned ADF support primarily to Hotel Quarantine, natural Disasters and Fiji. Notable absence of any mention of support for the state borders.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Politician speak meaning residents can cross the border without paying - Vic announced a hard border crossing (the inverse of what NSW had before) - time will tell is the delays are longer or shorter with Vic Police running it. Scomo just issued a soothing noises video and mentioned ADF support primarily to Hotel Quarantine, natural Disasters and Fiji. Notable absence of any mention of support for the state borders.

Expected that PM wasn’t going to be very willing on the ADF use on the state border front.

if I remember previously NSW had a permit system for border towns and making the distance smaller and smaller.

Vic indicated just licence showing address was enough from a green zone (not sure where Vic permit got up to for border towns)

 

[Catweazle]

What's the latest for Victorians re-entering from SA? Looks the same to me. I have a permit – if the border does shut, will I be allowed to return home?

 

[Danger]

Western Australia put up the shutters to Victoria again today. Amazing.

COVID-19 coronavirus

Find information and advice on the COVID-19 coronavirus for the community and businesses in Western Australia.

www.wa.gov.au

I have a mate who flew QF flight ADL-PER arriving 7.30pm tonight. On 26 December, he transited Victoria for about 90 minutes (PER-xMEL-ADL). According to the latest restrictions, apparently issued just hours ago, he has to quarantine for 14 days. He's at PER now, three hours after landing, waiting to be processed to see if he's exempt.

 

[Danger]

No exemption. After landing at 7.30pm, it wasn't until circa 1am that he was hauled off to the Four Points for quarantine, kissing goodbye to his next week's pay check (he's FIFO, due to start his eight days on today).

I totally get the need to be cautious but it's not like there was a confirmed case on his plane or it was confirmed that he'd been exposed to the virus but this is pathetic.

 

[jb747]

Which city?

Travellers from Sydney are now banned from midnight (returning Vic residents have an extra 24 hours). So city treated as a whole again

Border towns can move freely.

Freely. Must be a new meaning. No, I don’t need a permit. But, the queues are so long, and poorly manned/managed, that it will be quicker to drive 90 minutes each way to Shepparton.

 

[ethernet]

Where is the Humor section?

Canberra's checkpoints have misleading signage before you meet the police cordon. Coming in from Yass on the Barton Highway are roadworks sign and slow down, you know, roadworks.
The you see the pile of dirt signage for roadworks. Then the police (who are nice).

Does anyone here know a graphic designer to replace the Dirtpile sign with;-

TOP LINE: COVID CHECKPOINT BARTON
Two 1960's communist guards with AK47's with over-painted red lips, a hammer and sickle in the top right hand corner and 'PRESENT LICENSE PAPERS'

I am sure a graphic artist can improve this concept better for Victoria and WA, and a picture of zones - red, orange, green, pink with purple spots etc. Include Antartic zone in RED. And maybe one of the guards faces looking like someone on the telly.

I claim no ownership on this idea whasoever - it free and in the public domain for anyone wanting to make a buck out of it. I can think other countries this could work with - one featuring a Poo-Bear.

demotivational posters at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[Zulu0929]

Without having to read the previous 8 pages, where the issue may have already been covered, it is incredible to think that at the State and Federal government's zoom meetings that they could not come up with a national form for interstate travel.....Traffic Lights (really.....!!!!), G2G PASS, SAPOL and so on. They should be ashamed of their incompetence and Duck-Shoving,

 

[drron]

It's not just the different passes but the processing of those.Both Tasmania and Queensland were reasonably organised and processed arrivals quickly especially if you had all your paper work.

Victoria though is obviously a mess.My wife arrived from MCY into MEL early this afternoon.Everyone had to sit on the plane awaiting busses to take them to the processing area.It took 30 minutes for the busses to arrive.She was on the first bus coming into an empty area.Instead of directing them to the processing area they had to walk the maze to get there.Then asked every question on the application for entrance even though she had the printout with all the answers on it.Took 1.5 hours to get to the QP from the time of arrival at the stand -she was on JQ.

 

[AFF Editor]

I've moved some posts relating to the implementation and use of QR codes for contact tracing to this thread: Use of QR codes for COVID-19 contact tracing in Australia

The topic of this thread is state border travel restrictions.