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Opposition leader Mia Davies has again called for a March 5 border reopening, saying WA families need “some light at the end of the tunnel”.
As WA began welcoming back West Australians stuck interstate as part of relaxed exemptions, WA Premier Mark McGowan said hard borders would come down — but would not say when.
“The Opposition has been very clear — the Premier needs to set a date,” Ms Davies said on Saturday.
“We have said on or before March 5 to give everyone that certainty and allow families some light at the end of the tunnel and businesses the opportunity to start planning.
“It is clear in the chief health officer advice that there are concerns that if we remain closed for any longer than after March we will see the impact of an encroaching flu season, we still start to see the impacts continuing to prevent us from recruiting a health workforce and we will see the impacts of waning immunity.”
Mr McGowan backflipped on a February 5 re-opening of national and international borders, saying the Omicron COVID-19 variant had warranted a re-think.
He warned lives would have been lost if he had stuck to the February 5 date.
“I don’t have any regrets because I know I have saved Western Australian lives and Western Australian jobs,” Mr McGowan said.
“And while it is hard for some people, I think saving lives and jobs is my obligation.
“I am very resolute that we need to stay the course.”
Ms Davies said communities and businesses were not coping with the hard borders.
“We are about to travel through the Kimberley, looking and meeting with towns and communities in relation to youth crime issues and also the impact of a continuing closed border on the tourism industry in the north of our State,” she said.
“There are some very concerning stories in relation to ongoing youth crime and the impact of businesses not having any certainty for when the borders will reopen (so) they can start to plan and start to live life as normal.”