There's some bad news for your coming long weekend plans on the South Coast: the holiday travel "bubble" with NSW won't start to kick in until midnight on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This means that until then, Canberrans looking to spend Saturday or Sunday on holiday in NSW technically will still breach NSW government COVID-19 travel restrictions and incur a penalty.
NSW police again have advised residents from the ACT and region against non-essential travel and not to use the long weekend as an excuse to head to the South Coast or nearby NSW regions for an extended break.
Monday June 1 is the Reconciliation Day public holiday in the ACT, but not in NSW.
Although NSW holiday travel restrictions will be lifted from Monday, June 1, South Coast district commander Superintendent Greg Moore said police will continue to conduct proactive patrols over the coming Saturday and Sunday before the relaxation comes into effect.
"I understand people are eager to get back down to areas like the South Coast to support tourism, but this weekend is not the time to do so," Supt Moore said.
"Regional travel restrictions will be easing from Monday 1 June, and as such it would not be appropriate for tourists to flood our regional towns this weekend.
"Those who choose to do the wrong thing could be faced with fines and legal action."
Queensland, Western Australian, South Australian, Northern Territory and Tasmanian borders remain closed.
There are no closures or restrictions on Victoria's border, although its tough restrictions around access to visitor accommodation will not ease until midnight on Sunday.
From Monday in Victoria, people can only stay in caravan parks or camping grounds if they have access to private, not shared communal facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms. Staying in holiday homes or private residences is allowed.
READ MORE:
As of 7am on Wednesday, NSW police had issued 1349 penalty infringement notices for failing to comply with the Public Health Act since March 17, of which 1287 are being prosecuted. Each infringement carries a fine of $1000.
The Easter long weekend was the previous occasion in which both the ACT and NSW faced similar travel restrictions.
On that occasion, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr warned that the blue and white registration plates of Canberra motorists made them an obvious target for NSW police attention.
Superintendent Moore thanked the travelling public for their patience in recent times.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
Our COVID-19 news articles relating to public health and safety are free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. If you're looking to stay up to date on COVID-19, you can also sign up for our twice-daily digest here.