The NT’s peak tourism body is calling for clarity after Chief Minister Michael Gunner said hard border controls would remain for at least 18 months.

August 12, 2020

The Northern Territory chief minister’s declaration that hard border controls would remain for at least 18 months has caused confusion among interstate visitors, the Top End’s peak tourism body says.

Michael Gunner on Tuesday announced NT border controls for those from coronavirus hotspots would be in place well into next year.

Tourism Top End says the comments have created uncertainty across Australia, with many people believing the NT had closed its borders.

“Our industry has fielded a lot of phone calls from interstate visitors who were planning to get here,” General Manager Glen Hingley told AAP on Wednesday.

He said people had heard Mr Gunner’s remarks and interpreted them to mean the territory was closed to all visitors.

“That’s a really unfortunate outcome and the industry has been really busy and they are worried,” he said.

“Words are important and language matters in such sensitive fragile times.”

The chief minister’s tough-on-border controls pledge – which also promises extra police to monitor interstate arrivals – comes amid a tight territory election, with voting already underway.

Despite this, the NT actually remains open to all visitors, with those arriving from or through a hotspot required to undertake 14 days mandatory supervised quarantine at a cost of $2500.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro initially accused Mr Gunner of politicising the crisis, saying he was trying to scare Territorians into voting for him.

However, on Wednesday Ms Finocchiaro said the CLP would also robustly protect Territorians from the coronavirus if elected.

“We will continue to have police on our borders, statutory declarations for those entering the Territory, hot spot management and expanded testing and mandatory quarantine for anyone deemed a risk,” she told reporters.

“We will not politicise this issue.”