Perisher, Thredbo unlikely to be included in Canberra regional bubble

The government is preparing to implement a regional bubble to protect the capital from the NSW coronavirus outbreak.

But ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said it meant Canberrans were unlikely to be allowed to holiday at the snow at Jindabyne, Thredbo or Perisher if restrictions were introduced.

Ms Stephen-Smith said the number of essential workers moving between regions would be a key factor in determining which areas would be included in a bubble.

"The things we really take into consideration is the volume of inter-dependence between a particular region and the ACT," she said.

"Clearly areas like Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Murrumbateman even Bungendore see a lot of people commuting into the ACT.

"That's probably not so much the case with Jindabyne so that would be taken into account depending on what the circumstances warranted at the time."

Ms Stephen-Smith said essential workers from the surrounding area needed to be able to move across the border without significant challenges.

The government has worked through plans with surrounding NSW local councils.

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Jindabyne Chamber of Commerce president Olivier Kapetanakos said it would be disappointing if the area wasn't included and would come as a blow to the already struggling tourism industry.

Sydneysiders made up 70 per cent of tourism through the season, which has been completely cut off due to lockdown.

Canberrans account for about 12 per cent of business in winter.

"This would further reduce our ability to survive winter," he said.

Several people have been fined for breaching public health orders by leaving lockdown to travel to the snow, most recently a family from Blacktown.

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