Travellers from New Zealand continue to be frustrated by the various state rules governing COVID-19.
Key points:
- The first travellers from New Zealand began arriving in Australia on Friday
- So far, NSW and NT have signed up for the trans-Tasman travel bubble
- But dozens of travellers from NZ have caught connecting flights to other states
Melbourne man Matt Gadsby had been visiting his two-year-old son in New Zealand when the travel corridor with NSW and the Northern Territory was announced.
He did his research and said he found nothing to suggest he would not be able to travel on home to Victoria once he landed in Sydney — so he went for it.
"Everything that I was able to find suggested that wasn't going to be a problem," he said.
Mr Gadsby — who arrived in Sydney from Auckland on Sunday before catching a connecting flight to Melbourne — said he found it "alarming" it had been so difficult to find information.
Since Friday, New Zealanders have been allowed to fly into New South Wales and the Northern Territory under the Federal Government's trans-Tasman travel bubble.
But the agreement has caused plenty of confusion among travellers, with about 100 people catching connecting flights to states that had not subscribed to the bubble.
It has also caused anger among some premiers, with state authorities forced to track down those passengers and put them in quarantine.
At Sydney Airport on Monday night, New Zealanders Roger and Glenda Haynes arrived on Qantas Flight 146 — seven months after their planned move to Australia.
They had sold their house in Auckland and were ready to embark on their dream move across the ditch but their plans went awry when Australia and New Zealand's borders closed.
"On the 28th of March we had our flights booked, so we missed out by two days," Ms Haynes said.
The couple said they applied to Australian Border Force (ABF) for a travel exemption 14 times, but were knocked back each time.
They plan to settle on the Gold Coast once the Queensland border reopens and say they are happy to quarantine when the time comes.
But Mr Haynes said the information on each state's health regulations had been clear as mud.
"You had to read the whole thing several times until it all sank in," he said.
"A lot of the time you'd read part of it, then think I can do that, then you read the whole thing and realise that you can't.
James Lee was on the same flight.
The 18-year-old from Canterbury came as part of his gap year to drive tractors in Moree.
He said airport authorities drew his attention to government websites about which states required passengers to quarantine.
But he was "stoked" he did not have to quarantine in NSW.
"It just made it so much more doable," he said. "No-one wants to have to stay two weeks in a hotel."
Victoria 'in the bubble, whether we like it or not'
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said 65 people had arrived in Victoria from New Zealand and 55 of them had been doorknocked and advised of the state's current COVID-19 rules.
Victoria's Department of Health website was updated on Sunday night to say New Zealanders arriving in NSW were able to travel to Victoria without quarantining.
But Mr Andrews expressed frustration they had been allowed to arrive at all.
"Despite the fact that we didn't want to be in the bubble, it seems like the bubble applies to every part of our country, not just those that said yes," he said.
"Ultimately we are in the bubble whether we like it or not."
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said 23 "border-hopping" New Zealanders who had travelled on to Perth were in hotel quarantine.
South Australia and Tasmania have also received New Zealand visitors despite not signing up to the travel bubble.
Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo, who is responsible for managing international arrivals to Australia, told Senate Estimates on Monday no restrictions on internal travel existed once New Zealand travellers had been cleared to enter the country.
"Once they've cleared all those formalities — customs, immigration, quarantine, biosecurity, or any other federally enforced obligation — you are subject to the ordinary laws of Australia's federation," he said.
Mr Pezzullo said he believed New Zealanders had also ended up in Queensland.
Mr Gadsby said he could appreciate the Victorian Government was trying to keep COVID-19 cases down.
"On the other side of that though, I feel like there's a massive misinterpretation associated with people like myself that are trying to get back to Victoria — like we're coming here for some reason other than because we simply want to be reunited with family.
He said any suggestion New Zealanders were being underhanded by travelling on to other states was "confronting" and "offensive".
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTEwLTE5L256LXRyYXZlbC1idWJibGUtY29uZnVzaW9uLWFtb25nLXN5ZG5leS1haXJwb3J0LWFycml2YWxzLzEyNzgyNzg00gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyNzgyNzg0?oc=5
2020-10-19 11:17:00Z
CAIiEPmVSQrOcrZBDcXMHBfpda8qFwgEKg4IACoGCAow3vI9MPeaCDD6kIkG
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "New Zealand travel bubble causes confusion among Sydney Airport arrivals - ABC News"
Post a Comment