The New Zealand Cabinet will on Monday make its decision on when to commence two-way travel arrangements Australia, according to a report from Stuff.

Australia reopened its quarantine-free bubble to travellers coming from New Zealand on March 11 after it was closed after an outbreak in January.

However, Australians have not been able to travel to New Zealand without staying in hotel quarantine.

That could change imminently.

A paper is currently being discussed by the New Zealand Cabinet committee over what form the Trans Tasman bubble will take.

The final decisions will be undertaken early next week and flights could begin by the middle of April.

The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has not denied the travel bubble could be open sooner rather than later, but says she won’t announce any thing just yet.

“But we have said we’d like to see it soon”.

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The travel bubble would allow Australians and New Zealanders to travel between the two countries without having to undergo mandatory two week quarantine on arrival.

While using the bubbles, both countries will retain the right to stop flights if an outbreak occurs.

The report also claims New Zealand airports would be split into “green zones” and “red zones”.

Green zones will be used by bubble travellers, and domestic travellers who don’t have to quarantine.

Red zones will be used by travellers who have come from other overseas countries and are in transit or moving to quarantine facilities.

The expected announcement will mean a tight turnaround for airlines. New Zealand’s COVID-19 Recovery Minister said airlines require ten days to be ready for the travel bubble.

The report claims it could take airlines up to three weeks to be prepared for the flights.

Flights will be arriving at Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

The report also claims Kiwis will be warned of possible lockdowns if they travel to Australia in the unlikely event they are caught in a coronavirus cluster.

‘RECONNECT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE’

It comes as the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum called for Australia and New Zealand to reconnect for two-way quarantine-free travel “as soon as possible”.

“It’s now 12 months since the 600,000 New Zealanders living in Australia and 75,000 Australians in New Zealand have been able to easily travel to see families and friends face-to-face and share important occasions like weddings and other milestone events,” ANZLF Australian Co-chair Ann Sherry said.

“And it’s not just those wonderful, personal connections. Our countries are very closely linked economically, with around $27 billion in two-way trade flowing between New Zealand and Australia (pre-COVID19).

“This meant about 400,000 business trips a year across the Tasman. Plus, tourism companies on both sides have been left languishing without visitors from the other country – a gap that domestic tourism has struggled to fill.

“Things seem to have stalled since Australia opened its doors to New Zealanders travelling quarantine-free nearly six months ago. That one-way arrangement was based on an assessment by Australian health officials that New Zealand poses a low risk of COVID-19 transmission to Australia.

“Both countries have successfully managed the health risks of COVID-19, with testing and tracing regimes that are quickly snuffing out any cases appearing in the community. Now with vaccination rolling out in New Zealand and Australia it’s time the low risk of transmission between the countries is recognised with more open travel arrangements.”

AVIATION SECTOR’S BIG PLAN

ANZLF New Zealand Co-chair Greg Lowe said the aviation sector has been preparing to re-launch the travel bubble “for some time”.

“Last year the ANZLF worked in collaboration with the aviation sector to develop a comprehensive and detailed blueprint for a trans-Tasman Safe Travel Zone, that is, travel without a managed isolation period,” he said.

“It is now ten months since that plan was presented to both Prime Ministers for the two-way travel zone to be established. We appreciate the huge amount of time and energy by officials in both countries to reach agreement on the Safe Travel Zone, and the time has now come to get this done.”

SCOMO SPEAKS

Earlier this month the Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this decision had always been down to Wellington. He said he was “happy” for New Zealand to open its borders whenever it saw fit.

“If the New Zealand government doesn’t wish Australians to visit New Zealand and spend money in Queenstown or Wellington or other parts of the country, that’s a matter for them,” Mr Morrison said.

“But if Australians can’t go to Queenstown, I’m hoping they’ll go to Cairns.”