❓ The Premier outlines the cautious transition from a hard border to a controlled border in WA, emphasizing health-based thresholds and ongoing monitoring, while also criticizing Clive Palmer's legal challenge.
AnsweredQoN 817Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS
817. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Premier:
I
refer to Western Australia's world-leading response to the COVID-19
pandemic, which has kept our state safe and strong. Can the Premier
outline to the house what this government's decision to cautiously
transition from a hard border to a controlled border will mean to Western Australia?
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS
817. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Premier:
I
refer to Western Australia's world-leading response to the COVID-19
pandemic, which has kept our state safe and strong. Can the Premier
outline to the house what this government's decision to cautiously
transition from a hard border to a controlled border will mean to Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank member for Mount Lawley for
the question and for his enthusiasm for the Parliament, which some people might
want to emulate.
Without
doubt, the hard border has kept Western Australia safe and strong. For 206 days
now, Western Australia has had not one case of community transmission of
COVID-19. This is a great achievement, and all Western Australians can be proud for participating and assisting the
government in what we had to do over the course of those 206 days . We
have turned Western Australia into an island within an island and our strategy
has worked. The hard border was put in place to protect the health of all Western
Australians. We have maintained a cautious, considered and careful approach based upon the expert health
advice that we have received. Based on that health advice and the rates of local infection in the eastern states—Victoria has now had four days
of zero COVID cases—we can now safely transition from the hard border
to a new controlled interstate border.
The existing hard border exemption
system will be removed and replaced with a controlled interstate border regime that is based on an updated nationwide
health-based threshold. Based on the health advice, which I will table, certain rules will be in place for states and territories depending on their individual
level of risk. From 14 November, it is expected that those coming from states
or territories deemed very low risk—that is, with no local COVID cases
in 28 days—will be permitted to enter WA if they comply with the
following: all Perth Airport arrivals will undergo a health screening and
temperature test and they will need to be prepared to take undertake COVID-19
testing at a new Perth Airport COVID clinic;
we will ensure that there is a G2G PASS declaration for all people to identify
the jurisdictions they have been in,
and everyone will get a reminder over the course of the first week to get a health
check if they are unwell. That
applies to the very low risk states and territories—that is, South
Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital
Territory.
On
the other hand, New South Wales and Victoria are deemed low risk. Travellers
from those states will be required to do the following: self-quarantine
for 14 days in suitable premises, as they do now; present for COVID-19 testing
on the eleventh day, as they do now; and take a COVID-19 test at the Perth
Airport COVID clinic if it is deemed necessary.
The conditions on people from New South Wales and Victoria, which comprises 60
per cent of the nation's population, are identical to what is in
place under the hard border. However, when Victoria and New South Wales reach
28 days of no local cases, we will consider moving them into the other category.
I
want to be really clear that we will have no hesitation in reintroducing the
hard border or delaying the implementation of the controlled border if
the health advice indicates that is what we need to do to protect Western Australians.
November 14 is still a week and a half away. If there is evidence that we need
to delay the implementation of the controlled
border, particularly for New South Wales and Victoria, that is what we will do.
I urge all Western Australians to
continue to take personal responsibility by not going to work or go out if they
are sick and to engage in good hygiene.
I
want to comment on one final thing. We have lawyers who have gone to Canberra
to be in the High Court today to participate in Mr Clive Palmer's
legal action against the state of Western Australia. Everything that we have
done in relation to putting in place borders has been to protect the health of Western
Australians, and the measures that we put in
place have worked. They have worked spectacularly well; other states and
countries around the world wish they had the same outcomes as Western Australia.
I say to Mr Palmer: you are a menace to the health of all Western Australians and you are a menace to the
health of all Australians. Mr Palmer's conduct in this and everything he does is, frankly, disgraceful and
disgusting. Mr Palmer wants to take away not only the health, but also the
wealth of all Western Australians. I say this about Mr Palmer: he is a clear
and present danger to this country and to this state. I think he is a disgrace
to the nation and an embarrassment to Queensland.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Mr Speaker!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : It was 50–50
but I will go with you, member for Dawesville!
the question and for his enthusiasm for the Parliament, which some people might
want to emulate.
Without
doubt, the hard border has kept Western Australia safe and strong. For 206 days
now, Western Australia has had not one case of community transmission of
COVID-19. This is a great achievement, and all Western Australians can be proud for participating and assisting the
government in what we had to do over the course of those 206 days . We
have turned Western Australia into an island within an island and our strategy
has worked. The hard border was put in place to protect the health of all Western
Australians. We have maintained a cautious, considered and careful approach based upon the expert health
advice that we have received. Based on that health advice and the rates of local infection in the eastern states—Victoria has now had four days
of zero COVID cases—we can now safely transition from the hard border
to a new controlled interstate border.
The existing hard border exemption
system will be removed and replaced with a controlled interstate border regime that is based on an updated nationwide
health-based threshold. Based on the health advice, which I will table, certain rules will be in place for states and territories depending on their individual
level of risk. From 14 November, it is expected that those coming from states
or territories deemed very low risk—that is, with no local COVID cases
in 28 days—will be permitted to enter WA if they comply with the
following: all Perth Airport arrivals will undergo a health screening and
temperature test and they will need to be prepared to take undertake COVID-19
testing at a new Perth Airport COVID clinic;
we will ensure that there is a G2G PASS declaration for all people to identify
the jurisdictions they have been in,
and everyone will get a reminder over the course of the first week to get a health
check if they are unwell. That
applies to the very low risk states and territories—that is, South
Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital
Territory.
On
the other hand, New South Wales and Victoria are deemed low risk. Travellers
from those states will be required to do the following: self-quarantine
for 14 days in suitable premises, as they do now; present for COVID-19 testing
on the eleventh day, as they do now; and take a COVID-19 test at the Perth
Airport COVID clinic if it is deemed necessary.
The conditions on people from New South Wales and Victoria, which comprises 60
per cent of the nation's population, are identical to what is in
place under the hard border. However, when Victoria and New South Wales reach
28 days of no local cases, we will consider moving them into the other category.
I
want to be really clear that we will have no hesitation in reintroducing the
hard border or delaying the implementation of the controlled border if
the health advice indicates that is what we need to do to protect Western Australians.
November 14 is still a week and a half away. If there is evidence that we need
to delay the implementation of the controlled
border, particularly for New South Wales and Victoria, that is what we will do.
I urge all Western Australians to
continue to take personal responsibility by not going to work or go out if they
are sick and to engage in good hygiene.
I
want to comment on one final thing. We have lawyers who have gone to Canberra
to be in the High Court today to participate in Mr Clive Palmer's
legal action against the state of Western Australia. Everything that we have
done in relation to putting in place borders has been to protect the health of Western
Australians, and the measures that we put in
place have worked. They have worked spectacularly well; other states and
countries around the world wish they had the same outcomes as Western Australia.
I say to Mr Palmer: you are a menace to the health of all Western Australians and you are a menace to the
health of all Australians. Mr Palmer's conduct in this and everything he does is, frankly, disgraceful and
disgusting. Mr Palmer wants to take away not only the health, but also the
wealth of all Western Australians. I say this about Mr Palmer: he is a clear
and present danger to this country and to this state. I think he is a disgrace
to the nation and an embarrassment to Queensland.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : Mr Speaker!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : It was 50–50
but I will go with you, member for Dawesville!
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