A travel company has been issued a $5000 PIN for breaching a public health order after taking three busloads of tourists to a zoo in the state’s west yesterday.
About 9.30am (Monday 28 June 2021), three buses arrived at the zoo on Obley Road, Dubbo.
On board were 128 staff and guests – at least 76 of whom were not permitted to travel outside Greater Sydney under the current public health order.
Staff at the zoo refused to allow the travellers off the buses and police were called.
Officers from Orana Mid-Western Police District attended and spoke to tour operators, establishing the group had left Sydney last Friday (25 June 2021) and had continued to travel throughout regional NSW after the Public Health Orders were updated on Saturday.
The guests were directed to return home immediately and the tour company has been issued a $5000 PIN.
State Emergency Operations Controller, Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys, said the company owner told police he was aware of the public health orders but decided to continue the tour as planned anyway.
“But the staff at the zoo did exactly the right thing – they isolated the risk and alerted police. They did a great job to protect the local community,” Deputy Commissioner Worboys said.
Investigations into further possible breaches are continuing.