"It might not happen on the 9th but that's when we're happy to have it happen.
"It'll be a matter for airlines and the airport to make the kind of practical changes to give effect to that."
Those flying from New Zealand will not be required to quarantine on arrival, but the eased restrictions aren't in place for those travelling to New Zealand.
Quarantine is still mandatory and travellers need a managed isolation voucher before flying - something that has been in place for flights arriving November 3.
The voucher system was brought in to manage capacity during the lead-up to Christmas because the Government said there were not enough health workers and police to cope with the number of travellers arriving into New Zealand who must complete 14 days of managed isolation to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The system is booked out until December 20, locking hundreds if not thousands of New Zealanders out of a Kiwi Christmas with loved ones.
Last month, a transtasman bubble opened between New Zealand and the Australian states New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
The state of Victoria, where Melbourne is located, was not part of the bubble but it did not stop more than 50 people flying into the locked-down city via Sydney.
However, after a week of no new Covid-19 cases or deaths, both Victoria and Melbourne are keen to have Kiwis return.
A raft of restrictions is also expected to ease in Melbourne on Sunday, including the removal of the "ring of steel" which separates regional Victoria from the city.