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Stranded out of WA

Jackson Lavell-LeeBusselton Dunsborough Times
Busselton resident Natasha Best, pictured with Beswick woman Martina Brown, has been left stranded by the WA government. Ms Best has not seen two of her children in nine months due to the hard border.
Camera IconBusselton resident Natasha Best, pictured with Beswick woman Martina Brown, has been left stranded by the WA government. Ms Best has not seen two of her children in nine months due to the hard border. Credit: Supplied

Several South West residents are stuck in neighbouring States despite applying for travel exemptions to return to home quarantine in WA.

The news comes as WA Chief Health Officer Dr Andrew Robertson confirmed on Wednesday WA could open its borders to States that had no community spread.

Busselton resident Natasha Best has been stuck in a remote area of the Northern Territory for more than six months.

Ms Best left Busselton with her 13-year-old daughter in January for a one-year work contract and intended to fly home every 10 weeks to visit her other children.

“We have been stuck in a remote indigenous community now for nine months, and Ellise is desperately missing her dad,” she said. “We have a three-bedroom house that is empty and waiting for us to quarantine in, so I don’t understand the rejections.”

Vasse MLA Libby Mettam said if the Government could manage risk for mining workers entering the State, then “surely” the same could be done for returning residents. “These are our people and there needs to be a greater level of compassion and common sense in managing the passage of our residents returning home, given this can be managed COVID-free through testing and quarantine,” she said.

In one case, a local woman was forced to undertake two sets of quarantine and testing in the low-risk State of South Australia and WA after several months of seeking return from the UK.

“There is a process via the G2G online application which includes quarantine. They are prepared to isolate and yet still the applications are being rejected for no apparent reason,” Ms Mettam said.

A State Government spokesperson said the Police Commissioner was the State emergency co-ordinator, under the Emergency Management Act who assessed all applications to enter the State, but would not comment on individual cases. A WA Police spokesperson said they assessed every application for entry to the State individually in accordance with the approved categories for entry under quarantine directions.

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