A tech CEO and three of his mates have been fined $4,003 each for jigging Sydney’s lockdown and unlawfully entering Queensland on a superyacht last Wednesday, The Courier-Mail reports. All four men have since tested negative.
The four passengers cruised up the coast on a 34-metre superyacht called Dreamtime. The $4 million boat costs up to $18,000 per day to charter, making the fines look paltry in comparison.
After arriving in Queensland, they falsely filled border declarations saying they hadn’t been to any COVID hotspots recently.
Their goal? To watch the footy in Brisbane – the Wallabies’ Test against France at Suncorp Stadium, specifically.
This could have potentially exposed thousands of people to the virus, so it’s just lucky none of the four tested positive for COVID-19 in the end.
The blokes were eventually busted by Maritime Safety Queensland, which has been intercepting incoming boats both randomly and based on tipoffs, several days later.
“The message is clear, if you have been in a COVID-19 hotspot and you cross our maritime border, you will be intercepted and face the consequences,” MSQ general manager Angus Mitchell said.
“The Chief Health Officer declared the Greater Sydney area a COVID-19 hotspot backdated to 21 June as the COVID-19 situation continued to escalate and while that situation exists, MSQ will rigorously challenge any vessels planning to enter Queensland waters.”
Gold Coast Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said the incident was “extremely disappointing”, the ABC reports.
“It only takes one person to put us all at risk.”
The tech CEO who was onboard the boat has been identified by media as the head of an ASX-listed company. We’ve chosen not to share his identity publicly.
MSQ also intercepted two other boats which had arrived from Sydney last week. All of the people who were busted entering the state on these vessels have now been placed in hotel quarantine.
