Request for advice from Queensland Police Service

Dom Courtney, QORF EO commenting on the advice supplied by the Queensland Police Service on the question of “what is local and how far can you travel for outdoor exercise?“.

Comments were received from the Queensland Police …

Regarding your request about travelling to undertake exercise (a permitted purpose) under the current Chief Health Officer Directions for COVID-19, the following information was previously provided to Cycling Queensland:

Queensland Health are the lead agency in responding to this declared public health emergency. The role of the Queensland Police Service is to support Queensland Health by enforcing the law and encouraging compliance with the Chief Health Officer Directions.

The Home Confinement Direction provides a number of permitted purposes for a person to leave their principal place of residence. One of these permitted purposes is for exercise and cycling is considered exercise. A person can leave their residence to the extent necessary to accomplish the purpose of exercising.  The direction does not stipulate a distance a person can travel to achieve this purpose.

Police will assess each case on its merits and use compassion and communication to ensure compliance with the Chief Health Officer Directions. If a person is exercising they must also comply with the other conditions of the directions in relation to social distancing and the number of people who can be present.

The intent of the Chief Health Officers directions is to keep the community safe by stopping the spread of COVID-19. Any person leaving their residence should consider the need to undertake that activity as it relates to stopping the spread of COVID-19.”

In essence, a person is permitted to travel a reasonable distance in order to undertake exercise. However, it would not be permissible for a person to travel further than is reasonably necessary in order to undertake said exercise. For example, a person living on the Gold Coast could not travel to Brisbane in order to go for a run/ride.

Senior Sergeant Scott Raven
State Police Operations Centre
Queensland Police Service
23 April, 2020

Chief Health Officer Public Health Directions

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