
Australia-NZ travel bubble start to be revealed at 2pm AEST.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is set to reveal the start date for quarantine-free travel for Australians to Aotearoa.
Ms Ardern's cabinet will meet to sign off a plan to create the trans-Tasman bubble on Tuesday morning, before a 4pm local time (2pm AEST) announcement.
Australian and New Zealand borders have been shut to almost all non-citizens since March last year, with both countries requiring arrivals to spend a fortnight in quarantine before entering the community.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is set to announce the start date for a trans-Tasman travel bubble with Australia on Tuesday. Here is what we know so far https://t.co/mqZvI4tCDG
— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) April 5, 2021
Success in fighting the virus has prompted calls for the two allies to re-open their borders to each other.
Australian states began scrapping their restrictions last October, but to date New Zealand is yet to do so.
Kiwis have been fearful of a return of the deadly virus to their country, but University of Auckland professor Shaun Hendy said the re-opening was worth the risk.
"It's not greatly increasing the risk to New Zealand... and it will be good for many people with family in Australia," he told Radio NZ.
"We are going to have to make these small incremental risks. We do want to get something like normal life back over the next year."
In any re-opening scenario, borders would be closed temporarily in the case of new outbreaks.
Senator Jim Molan diagnosed with cancer.
Liberal Senator Jim Molan has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and is taking leave for further testing.
The 70-year-old politician announced on Monday he would take time away from the Senate to confirm his prognosis and commence treatment.