By Jeremy Sollars
Political point-scoring over the re-opening of Queensland’s border continues with Prime Minister Scott Morrison today declaring after a National Cabinet meeting that the Queensland Government has “re-affirmed” Friday 10 July as the date.
But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk still says the re-opening will be dependent on a “review” of the border issue ahead of Friday 10 July – the date originally indicated when MsPalaszczuk revealed her COVID-19 ‘Roadmap to Recovery’ in mid-May.
The Premier has been adamant a Friday 10 July re-opening would be subject to a review of medical advice and any new COVID-19 developments, having also suggested some weeks ago that dependent on those factors the border could remain closed “until September”.
The border issued has been a political free-for-all for weeks on end, with Gold and Sunshine Coast and north Queensland tourism operators pleading for an earlier border re-opening to let in southern tourists.
In our own region views have been mixed, with some local tourism operators relatively unfazed by the continued border closure, in some cases arguing it will encourage Queenslanders to visit the Southern Downs and Granite Belt since unlimited travel within the state was announced on Sunday 31 May.
Scott Morrison has today flagged significant further easing of restrictions in July, with potential increases in size of weddings, funerals, restaurants and other indoor gatherings and some large festivals and sporting events.
But individual states would need to agree to apply any new easing of restrictions and Annastacia Palaszczuk is yet to respond.
‘Stage 3’ of the Queensland ‘Roadmap to Recovery’ currently proposes the following measures from Friday 10 July, “subject to further review”, with such a review likely either in late June or early July –
Interstate travel (ie border opening) and a maximum of 100 people will be permitted for:
• gatherings in public spaces and homes
• dining in: restaurants, cafés, pubs, registered and licensed clubs, RSL clubs, food courts and hotels
• indoor cinemas
• places of worship and religious ceremonies
• museums, art galleries and historic sites
• pools and community sports clubs
• community sport
• gyms, health clubs and yoga studios
• outdoor amusement parks, zoos and arcades
• concert venues, theatres, arenas, auditoriums and stadiums
• weddings
• funerals
• saunas and bathhouses
• open homes and auctions
• casinos, gaming and gambling venues
• pubs, registered and licensed clubs, RSL clubs and hotels nightclubs
• beauty therapy, tanning, nail salons and spas, tattoo parlours and non-therapeutic massage parlours
• libraries
• hiking, camping and other recreational activities in national and state parks.
