Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Angry NT Chief blasts quarantine dodgers
The Northern Territory Chief Minister has slammed a group of Victorians for allegedly lying on border entry forms so they could attend a wedding.
July 24, 2021
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has blasted a group of Victorian travellers for allegedly lying on their border entry forms so they could attend a wedding.
The six people, aged between 29 and 31, left Victoria – a declared hotspot – on July 15 and travelled into South Australia before arriving in Darwin on Tuesday.
“I’m furious that six w**kers from Melbourne thought they could gamble with Territory lives for a holiday and a wedding,” Mr Gunner said in a statement after NT police released a statement about the group’s alleged actions.
Officers found the group was staying at the Winnellie Hotel in a Darwin industrial area.
They have since been moved to the Centre for Nations Resilience quarantine facility where they will “spend the majority of their time in the Territory”.
“They’re now in Howard Springs and are collectively going to be about $30,000 poorer,” Mr Gunner said.
“Our message is simple – Don’t lie. Don’t come here if you’ve been in a hotspot. Don’t put Territorians at risk.”
Police issued each of the two men and four women with a $5056 infringement notice for failing to abide by the NT Chief Health Officer’s directions.
It will be alleged the group was travelling together and provided false information to border entry personnel on arrival in Darwin.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable that these people were willing to put the rest of our community at risk by their selfish actions,” police commander Hege Burns said.