Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I think it is important to note that this is a global pandemic which is far from over. There is no guarantee about when international travel, for example, will return to some form of normalcy. DFAT continues to work with airlines and other governments to assist Australians in returning, but it is going to be some time before flights are available. In that context, we encourage Australians seeking to return to stay in close contact with their airlines, their travel agents to confirm plans as they are able to do so. For those who are unable to obtain flights, we continue to encourage them to ensure they have arrangements in place to allow for a possible extended stay. The support announced by the government today is designed to help the most vulnerable Australians overseas maintain those arrangements. Australians overseas are also able to follow the advice of local authorities, of course, and continue to monitor the government's advice on Smartraveller.