Victoria has relaxed travel restrictions on the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia before firmly closing its border with New South Wales.

The state’s acting Chief Health Officer declared a spate of changes to the country’s ‘traffic light’ permit system that came into effect on Sunday.

Under the changes, Alice Springs and Greater Darwin have gone from orange to green zones, making the whole of the Northern Territory a green zone.

In Queensland, the local government areas of Brisbane, Moreton Bay and regions of the Sunshine Coast have changed from red to orange zones, and Townsville (including Magnetic Island), Palm Island, Ipswich, Logan, Redland, Gold Coast, Lockyer Valley, Noosa, Scenic Rim and Somerset have changed from orange zones to green zones.

The whole of Western Australia is now a green zone, after the Perth metropolitan region and Peel region in WA were changed from orange zones to green zones.

Those entering Victoria from an orange zone must apply for a permit to enter Victoria, get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival and remain in self-quarantine until a negative result has been received.

Those entering from a green zone must also apply for a permit but are not required to get tested unless they develop symptoms once they have arrived in the state.

From today, all of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory have become a red zone, which means the Victorian border is effectively closed to them both.

Victorian residents and those with exemptions will be allowed to return on a red zone permit but will be required to isolate immediately, get tested and complete 14 days of quarantine.

A red zone means non-Victorian residents are not allowed to enter Victoria without an exception, Specified Worker Permit, transit permit, freight worker permit, or exemption.

The state health department said Victoria’s land borders and airports will continue to be heavily policed and substantial fines will be handed out to anyone arriving without a permit.

The Victorian border has been closed to anyone who has visited LGAs in Greater Sydney, including Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour and Wollongong since 26 June.

In other border news, quarantine-free travel (QFT) from Queensland to New Zealand will resume from 11:59pm (NZT) tonight. ‘Return green flights’ from Queensland, which began on Saturday, will stop once regular QFT flights begin from tomorrow.

Featured image source: iStock/shaunl