For what its worth, here's a Qld'ers take on the Covid laws in Aus.
Firstly, the Fed Govt has no constitutional powers on delivery of health services Aus wide. THAT power lies with each of the States and ONLY within that State's borders. The only thing the Fed Govt can do is REQUEST the States to make certain "laws" that coincide with the Fed Govts advice.
A National Cabinet was formed of Feds, States Premiers and each State's Chief Health Officer plus the Fed CHO.
The Cabinet agrees on steps that the State's can undertake to act on the PM's advice who is advised by the Fed CHO.
The premiers smile sweetly, nod in agreement and then go home where the State's introduce different State of Emergency Orders and Health Directions.
THAT'S why the States have different "rules" about what citizens can or can't do.
Here are Qld's Heath Directions issued by the Qld Chief Health Office (Dr Jeanette Young).
There are 16 of them and they can be found here:
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/system...lth-act-powers
The Directions are confusing as they were written in a hurry with not so much detailed thought into what exactly the provisions were or should be.
For example...Fishing.....seems like it was banned as it wasn't specifically mention in the Dr Young's Health Directions.
In fact the General Manager of Maritime Safety Qld ( part of Qld Transport) went into public print telling all Qld'ers that fishing was indeed banned.
That statement didn't last long (a couple of hours) before the Minister for Transport went public and withdrew the General Manager's statement.
It had been pointed out to the Minister that "obtaining food" WAS allowed by Dr Young's Health Direction. People engaging in fishing were attempting to obtain food. If they went off to obtain food themselves by catching it in a boat then that was exactly the same as somebody who went in a car to a shop to obtain food by paying for it (instead of catching it).
The Minister had also been bombarded by the public reaction to such a ban proclaimed by a junior public servant drunk with apparent power and a political storm like that was the last thing the Qld Govt needed or wanted with an election coming up in a few months.
One thing that was in Dr Young's directions were words to the effect " to the extent reasonably necessary" which meant don't drive from Brisbane to Caloundra to obtain food from a shop. Similarly don't drive from Rockhampton to Gladstone to obtain food by fishing. Use "local destinations" to obtain food hence local boat ramps and local shops.
What's exacerbated the confusion is that media doesn't distinguish between States in reporting stuff so what the media is reporting won't necessarily be what's applicable in your State anyway.
Its the same mess as the Murray Darling Basin Plan where the Fed Govt has no jurisdictional power to legislate. Only the States have that power so the Feds had to convince the States to "sign up" to a common plan and look how that's turned out. ANY State that has signed up can withdraw at any time at which time the MDBPlan collapses.
Ditto with the strategy agreed to by the State's in respect of Covid 19.
What the State's agreed to at the National Cabinet meetings was "refined" upon arrival home by local state issues so were different.
Dr Young's Health Directions (16 of them I think) are Qld's bible for the "rules" that apply so Qld'ers...take note of them.
Similary for other States. Look at YOUR State's "rules" as they'll be different from Qld's and the others.
Even the People's Republic of Victoria has its own. So has the People's Republic of the Northern Territory. (Both have signed up to parts of China's Belt and Road global "assistance" initiatives).
By and large they've all done a pretty good job in containing the spread and there'll always be hiccups in something put together so fast.
IMO this virus will be more remembered for the economic disruption that its caused rather than the health and medical problems associated with it.
Now that our economy has been reduced to a very basi, at least we have the opportunity to "recalibrate" our views about self-sufficiency, Aus manufacturing, national security and what we now can or can't afford in the years ahead.
Also good to see that with the world's oil price (particularly US produced oil) so low now, Aus has taken the opportunity to improve our national oil/fuel reserves which Fed Govts of both persuasions have allowed to be run down to ill-advised levels.