Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers move forward with ‘seamless’ Trans-Tasman travel

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have committed to trying to streamline the travel process between the two nations agreeing to the creation of a working group that will consider ‘seamless’ trans-Tasman travel.

Announcing the establishment of a working group to explore freedom of movement between the countries that will report back on the matter by June 2024, Prime Minister Albanese advised “what we are looking at is making a seamless experience of going through from country to country

“So, that might look at, for example, how smart gates could operate and be complimentary, our systems, so that before you get on a plane, in either country, it’s already recognised that you’re OK to come in and therefore, can just go through smart gates in a seamless way and in a timely way.”

Welcoming the move, Tourism and Transport Forum Australia (TFF) Chief Executive, Margy Osmond advised “this is terrific news for travellers and the tourism sector. We want to make travelling between Australia and New Zealand as smooth as possible and this group will help lead the best path forward to achieve it.

“TTF and our colleagues at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) have been working towards and advocating for a seamless, hi-tech border and it is great to see both Prime Ministers responding to the opportunity this represents.

“Both countries have listened and recognised the importance of these changes.”

If agreed, Australians and New Zealanders wouldn't have to produce their passport at the border with facial recognition technology replacing the need to present travel documents.

Earlier in the week, Osmond explained “the smartest way to speed up passenger movement through our terminals is to remove people from queues who don’t need to be there.

“Border formalities could be slashed by linking each passenger’s travel documentation to facial recognition technology. You could identify trans-Tasman passengers as they pass various points between baggage check-in and boarding their aircraft, without them needing to stop or produce passports, travel documents or even boarding passes.”

In a speech to the business group the Trans-Tasman Business Circle earlier this month, Australian Border Force commissioner Michael Outram said there was an "urgent need for border modernisation and investment because "critical IT systems" were dated and others were "still paper-based".

Image courtey of Best Western.