9News reported tonight NSW authorities were very nervous about the prospect of a third wave in Melbourne, and wanted to see all of the systems in Victoria properly tested.
That would include getting QR codes in place and working at pubs and restaurants, re-opening Melbourne’s international airport, and introducing a functioning hotel quarantine system.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had previously indicated support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plan to open the country up by Christmas, and has herself pushed for Queensland to open its border to NSW.
This morning, Ms Berejiklian told TODAY she would wait for expert health advice before making a decision.
“The real test is what happens to the virus when you ease restrictions. When you shut down the economy, don’t allow people to move freely, people can’t socialise, it of course the virus is under control. The test is when you ease restrictions. We know that from experience in NSW,” she said.
“I don’t want the border in Victoria a day longer than it needs to be. We are keeping a watching brief and as soon as I get the health check we’ll bring down the border.”
Ms Berejiklian also repeated her call for the Queensland Government to reopen its border with NSW.
She said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had unfairly lumped NSW with Victoria.
“NSW has managed to have a thriving economy, we’re getting jobs back. We’re allowing our citizen as much freedom as possible in a COVID-safe way. You can’t compare NSW to what Victoria’s been through that’s why the Queensland completely lacks ration, it doesn’t make sense,” she said.
“We have now had about two weeks of no unknown sources of community transmission.”
Ms Berejiklian said “nowhere on the planet” could meet the benchmark of 28 day without community transmission that Queensland gave NSW to lift the border closure.
She has been expected to lift the border closure on Friday – the day before the Queensland state election.
But Ms Berejiklian said the Queensland premier had been “playing politics” over the issue for too long.
“The border business has been a whole lot of hogwash frankly, I can’t wait to see Australia re united,” she said.
