Mixed reaction from rest of NZ as Aucklanders given green light for travel

August 30, 2020

There won’t be border restrictions in place as the city faces tougher restrictions than the rest of the country.

There was mixed reaction today after the Prime Minister confirmed Aucklanders would be able to travel out of their region from tomorrow.

In Christchurch, one woman told 1 NEWS she thought quite a few from the South Island were worried about Aucklanders travelling.

Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leeann Watson urged people to maintain vigilance by keeping up contact tracing efforts.

“The last thing we can afford is to go back up Alert Levels … about $1 million a week is what the impact is by not having Aucklanders coming into Canterbury.”

Meanwhile, in Queenstown, another says: “I’d rather they didn’t come.” 

“The country needs to be able to contain the virus. Dr Ashley Bloomfield is doing very, very well and the Government is doing all it can to contain it.”

There’s also hesitation in Wellington’s Porirua, one man saying he thought it was “maybe a little too early” for Aucklanders to be travelling. 

“It's a bit of a concern but to be honest, from my point of view, I think we have to open it up and we kind of have to work around it,” another woman says. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urged Aucklanders to use their common sense while travelling.

“If you are sick, please stay home. Definitely don’t travel.”

QUEENSTOWN TOURISM OPERATORS RELIEVED 

Despite some trepidation, Queenstown tourism operators are relieved a large chunk of the market is opening up again in the form of Aucklanders.

In Queenstown, operators are breathing a sigh of relief ahead of the move to Level 2.

Large numbers of Aucklanders are expected to head to the town for the Winter Pride Festival. The demand is evident, with less than five free seats on Air NZ flights from Auckland to Queenstown tomorrow. 

However, it’s feared another increase in Alert Levels could be fatal for hospitality and tourism operators in Queenstown. 

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