Kimberley Regional Group write to McGowan, Morrison asking for clear border plan

A peak Kimberley representative body is urging the State and Commonwealth governments to form consistent and clear messaging in relation to border management to ensure the stability of the region’s economy. Focusing on the need for remote businesses and communities to be taken into account, the Kimberley Regional Group last week wrote to Scott Morrison and Mark McGowan asking for a clear framework to be established which catered to those outside urban areas. In the letter, KRG chair Chris Mitchell said businesses throughout the region had found themselves in a confusing and unclear situation about requirements for visitors and residents returning to the region. “The Kimberley has a unique combination of four factors; the proximity to the NT border, the region’s reliance on tourism, the high number of Aboriginal people and communities and the distance to any major population centre,” he said. The letter called for an incentivised pathway out of COVID-19, including calling for fully vaccinated citizens to be allowed to quarantine at home instead of hotels, attend larger events and a quicker pathway to gaining exemptions for compassionate and work travel. “Employers should be encouraged to ensure that their workforce is fully vaccinated through exemption for business continuity,” Mr Mitchell said. “This could include workplace vaccination programs for larger employers, as happens with annual influenza vaccinations. “It would help to minimise waste and costs associated with scaling down upon the announcement of a lockdown then scaling up to restart activity.” Mr Mitchell said hospitality, accommodation and tours in the region had been hit hard by the constant fluctuations in cancellations and the need for staff. “While we recognise a return to normal will not be a return to the past, we encourage you to focus on transparency and consistency for both the community and business,” he said. Speaking to the Broome Advertiser, Mr Mitchell said the intent of the letter was to highlight the need for consistency in the approach across the states and much clearer information being delivered regionally. “The experience in very remote border regions is different from more populated areas as distances for daily essentials can become gruelling during border closures,” he said. Mr Mitchell said the group recognised the need to manage ongoing outbreaks to stop the spread of the virus until the phase one vaccine threshold was reached.