In a veiled swipe at Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Ms Berejiklian said states needed to “talk to us in NSW before you close the border because we can explain to you the situation that’s going on”.
Victoria disputed Ms Berejiklian’s suggestions that it did not inform NSW before the decision was made, and said NSW health authorities and ministers had been kept up to date.
Melburnians stuck in Queensland after the Palaszczuk government declared the Greater Brisbane area a hotspot, and the Victorian government banned Victorians from returning home at least until Monday, said confusion reigned over the weekend, and the Department of Health and Human Services provided unclear advice.
Ben, an accountant from Melbourne who asked that his surname not be used, was in Brisbane before travelling to the Gold Coast on Thursday, the day before the travel restrictions were announced.
An airline representative told the group they would have to pay for hotel quarantine if they flew home. “I cancelled my flight on the spot,” Ben said.
He said he had contacted the Department of Health and Human Services five times in the past three days and received only general information.
“The hotline is useless because they just read exactly what’s on the website.”
