Western Australia could make crucial decision about its borders TODAY

Western Australia could make crucial decision about its borders TODAY after sticking with hard closure despite opposition from other states

  • Western Australia could make a crucial decision about opening their borders
  • State disaster council, chaired by Premier Mark McGowan, will meet on Friday
  • Every other state and territory has committed to reopening its borders by Xmas

Western Australia could make a crucial decision about opening their borders on Friday after sticking with hard closure despite opposition from other states. 

The state disaster council, chaired by Premier Mark McGowan, will meet on Friday to discuss updated health advice from Chief Health Officer Dr Andrew Robertson. 

The meeting comes days after a new poll showed most West Australians wanted the premier to set a date for reopening state borders.

The poll, commissioned by Tourism Council WA, showed similarly strong support for opening to states with low or zero transmission of COVID-19.

Western Australia could make a decision about their borders on Friday. Pictured: Police officers and Royal Australian Navy personnel are seen stopping drivers at an intrastate checkpoint near the border of the Peel and South West regions in April

Education Minister Sue Ellery, the government’s leader in the upper house, on Thursday said she was yet to see the latest advice but expected it would reflect the continued decline in virus case numbers in NSW and Victoria.

‘The hard border policy has served us well,’ she said.

‘It’s been based on health advice and it has meant that our economy has been able to flourish at at time where other parts of the Australian economy have suffered real damage, and indeed around the world.

‘We will consider that advice tomorrow. I’m not going to speculate on what is in it or what we decide.’

Every other state and territory has committed to reopening its borders by Christmas.

On Thursday, Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said the coronavirus situation across the country was ‘changing for the better’. 

WA's disaster council, chaired by Premier Mark McGowan (pictured), will meet on Friday to discuss updated health advice

WA’s disaster council, chaired by Premier Mark McGowan (pictured), will meet on Friday to discuss updated health advice

‘Tomorrow (Friday) I’ll be attending the State Disaster Council and no doubt we’ll have further discussion there,’ he said. 

The meeting in Western Australia comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk prepares to announce whether Queensland will allow travellers from NSW to enter the state, after shutting borders months ago.

With all states except Queensland and Western Australia reopening to NSW and an election only a day away, Ms Palaszczuk is under increasing pressure to relax border restrictions.

The premier will consult with Queensland’s chief health officer and make an announcement by midday, she promised on Thursday.

The meeting in Western Australia comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk prepares to announce whether Queensland will allow travellers from NSW to enter the state, after shutting borders months ago

The meeting in Western Australia comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk prepares to announce whether Queensland will allow travellers from NSW to enter the state, after shutting borders months ago

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has refused to guarantee she will reopen NSW to Victoria by Christmas despite low case numbers.

NSW will wait at least two weeks to see how Victoria deals with the inevitable outbreaks as restrictions ease.

‘The real test is how do you deal with that. Are you able to control them? Are you able to find the sources of those infections?’ she told reporters on Thursday.

‘Once we see evidence of that for two-or-three weeks after the restrictions are eased well then we’ll rely on the health advice.’ 

Motorists are stopped at a checkpoint at Coolangatta on the Queensland-New South Wales border when it was re-introduced in August

Motorists are stopped at a checkpoint at Coolangatta on the Queensland-New South Wales border when it was re-introduced in August

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