URGENT Travel Ban update *Accommodation Providers please read*

We know that these are extraordinarily difficult times for our industry, and that some operators and short-term accommodation providers may not yet have cancelled all Easter bookings.  

Our Police District is very concerned that there will be an influx of visitors to our region over the Easter period despite the warnings and the fact that we have a vulnerable regional community. They have now issued a new Police & Ministerial Directive which places onus not only upon travellers, but on the operators themselves who are in breach of the Public Health Orders. Referring to Paragraph e) of the Directive: 

“Taking a holiday in a regional area is not an excuse to leave your house. Any Accommodation Provider that accepts travellers in violation of the order commits an offence.”  

What does this mean for accommodation providers?  

The onus is now also upon accommodation providers to determine whether their bookings are ‘essential travel’.  To be considered ‘essential’ visitors would need to provide evidence in support of one or more of the following ‘essential’ reasons their stay: 

• They are required to be in our region to perform essential work as part of their employment or business. 
• They are front line health workers, working in our region and isolating away from their homes. 
• They are locals seeking isolation due to having returned home from overseas or having been potentially exposed to COVID-19. 
• They are of no fixed address – e.g. grey nomads who have sold their home and live permanently on the road. 
• They are in temporary accommodation between homes, and they are local residents. 
• Emergency or Compassionate reasons, such as crisis accommodation. 
• They are considered permanent residents (eg on longer-term leases) 

If your visitors are staying for a holiday and/or to see family or friends, you should ask them to leave your premises and return home without delay.  Please be cautious when accepting local bookings as we have had reports of people seeking accommodation to undertake unlawful activities (eg drug dealing and prostitution). If there is disagreement between you and your visitor over what is ‘essential’ travel, you can contact our Local Police station for clarification. Local Police will be proactively conducting patrols and checks, and local community members will be encouraged to call Crime Stoppers if they notice a breach in the Orders occurring.  

The NSW Government has further reinforced this message by stating that all travel to Regional NSW over Easter should be cancelled or postponed immediately, and this message has been widely publicised.