Transtasman bubble: Australian PM pressures NZ to reciprocate

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with Scott Morrison in Sydney, shorly before national shutdowns. Photo / File

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has called on New Zealand to open up to Australians in the same way the nation has for Kiwis, as he reinstated the one-way travel bubble.

Currently, New Zealanders are able to enter Australia without needing to do any time in hotel quarantine, but the same cannot be said for Aussies looking to travel over the ditch.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the PM said the decision had always been down to Wellington, insisting 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," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"But if Australians can't go to Queenstown, I'm hoping they'll go to Cairns."

The travel bubble was reinstated on Tuesday night, after Auckland was lowered to Alert Level to 2 following a local outbreak.

More than 1.7 million Kiwis emerged from a strict week-long lockdown on Sunday as health authorities rushed to contain the 'Valentines Day' cluster that broke out at Papatoetoe high school.

Based on updated advice received on Tuesday from New Zealand, Australia moved to resume "green flights" from 11.59pm on March 11.

International arrivals: PM Scott Morisson said he was waiting for Wellington to open borders. Photo / File

Australia's chief medical officer Paul Kelly has been monitoring the situation and said it had "improved greatly", with "minimal risk" remaining from the Auckland cluster.

A statement from the Department of Health and Professor Kelly outlined that states or territories were welcome to introduce their own conditions that might differ to the national advice.

"All travellers are advised to check the arrangements in both their place of arrival and place of final destination before they travel," Professor Kelly said in the statement.

Australian health authorities applauded New Zealand's contact tracing efforts.

"New Zealand's contact tracing efforts showed the recent case identified, unrelated to the Auckland cluster, posed a low risk of COVID-19 spreading in Australia," Professor Kelly said.

"The Australian government will continue to work closely with colleagues in the New Zealand Ministry of Health to monitor and assess the public health risk posed by COVID-19."