New Zealanders will soon be allowed to visit NSW and the Northern Territory when Australia opens its first international border since the coronavirus pandemic hit, however, Australians hoping to cross the Tasman will have to wait a little longer.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison finalised a deal with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Arden on Friday, paving the way for flights to restart from October 16.
Transport Minister Michael McCormack said health officials had assessed New Zealand as a low risk of transmitting the disease to Australia.
"This is the first stage in what we hope to see as a trans-Tasman bubble between the two countries," the deputy prime minister told reporters in Canberra.
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Kiwis will be exempt from quarantine when arriving in Australia, provided they are not in a designated hotspot.
But Australians hoping to cross the Tasman will have to wait a little longer, with the New Zealand government not yet satisfied with Australia's infection rates.
Earlier this week Parkes MP Mark Coulton said 'by Christmas is pretty realistic' if infection rates remained the same.
"New Zealand and most parts of Australia have managed the virus very effectively and if we can get travel going to New Zealand and vice versa, I think that's incredibly important," he said.
"There's a lot of not only tourism, but a lot of business goes across the Tasman, and a lot of people come over from New Zealand to work."
He said the time frame was "obviously" if there was not another outbreak.
"We've got to be flexible because things change quickly, but at this stage, if the infection rate remains the same, I think by Christmas is pretty realistic."
with Australian Associated Press
