With border closures still in place, we ought to wonder: how much longer can we bear this burden. Hear from leading experts on public policy, vaccination, finance and health care on what it will take for WA to open its borders.
More than 18 months later, COVID-19 cases are still raging in many parts of the world, even in Australia, where New South Wales is now recording hundreds of cases per day. Vaccination efforts and social measures are in place, but progress is slow.
As a consequence, Western Australia is currently under a state of emergency, and most people will have a very hard time coming into our state, unless you are coming from New Zealand, the Northern Territory or Tasmania, currently considered “Very Low Risk” jurisdictions.
In practice, this means that normal travel into WA, for business or pleasure, is pretty much out of the question. But, how much longer can WA remain closed?
Join the CEO of Perth Airport, the President of the Australian Medical Association, the director of Coronavax and a range of distinguished academic experts for an informative and engaging Q&A discussion.
About the event
Date: Thursday, 9 September 2021
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm AWST
Location: State Theatre Centre, 174-176 William Street, Perth, WA 6000
Topics covered: “In this event, we’ll unpack the steps towards the future of travel and border restrictions: state and international borders, regulation of travel, quarantine and vaccination requirements. What would it take for us to open up again, and what would this new world look like? What are the benefits of open borders – economically, socially, nationally – and what are the potential costs and risks?
Link for registration: Fortress Australia: How long can we stay closed? Tickets, Thu 09/09/2021 at 5:30 pm | Eventbrite
According to the organisers, the event will also live-streamed and recorded for future viewing.
Who will be presenting?
- Dr Katie Attwell, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences. Katie leads the interdisciplinary Western Australian project ‘Coronavax: Preparing Community and Government’, which engages in community and government research in readiness for a vaccine roll-out for COVID-19, funded by Wesfarmers and the Health Department of Western Australia.
- Dr Loretta Baldassar, Professor in Anthropology and Sociology and Director of the UWA Social Care and Ageing (SAGE) Living Lab. Her research and teaching areas include migration, transnational families, ageing across the lifecourse, and Australian society.
- Dr Dirk Baur, Professor of Finance at the UWA Business School. Dirk’s fields of expertise are international financial markets, Bitcoin, and blockchain technology.
- Kevin Brown, CEO of Perth Airport. Chief Executive Officer MBA, MSc, BEng (Hons), CEng, FIET, GAICD. Kevin joined Perth Airport as Chief Executive Officer in July 2016. Kevin has been involved in operational and commercial roles in both hub and regional airports for more than 15 years in the UK and Australia. Prior to joining Perth Airport, Kevin held the position of Chief Executive Officer of North Queensland Airports, which operate Cairns and Mackay Airports, where he was responsible for implementing a growth strategy for both airports. He also spent nine years with the British Airport Authority (BAA) and was Managing Director at Edinburgh International Airport. In 2017, Kevin was appointed to the Tourism Western Australia Board. Kevin is also a Board Member for AIMWA and a Council Member for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Western Australia and Freight and Logistics Council of WA.
- Dr Omar Khorshid, President of the Australian Medical Association. Omar is an experienced medical leader and orthopaedic surgeon, specialising in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the knee and hip. He was elected President of the Federal AMA on 1 August 2020, and is a past President of AMA WA. He completed his medical degree at the University of Western Australia in 1997, later completed his Advanced Surgical Training in Orthopaedics and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2007. Omar has a longstanding interest in medical education, and was appointed as an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at Curtin University’s new medical school in 2016.
- Phil Payne, CEO of StudyPerth. Phil leads a team which, in collaboration with government, educational institutions and other stakeholders, provides a leadership role in building the profile of international education in WA and overseas. In this role, Phil manages a team of dedicated marketing professionals, and he sits on various committees that support the sector. Prior to joining StudyPerth, Phil was employed by Murdoch University in various roles, including: Director of External Engagement, Vice President of Educational Partnerships, the inaugural Chair of Murdoch Singapore, Pro Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and the Peel Campus, and CEO of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Phil began his career in healthcare, in the UK then Australia, and has managed hospitals and a Medical School.