Nearly two-thirds of Australians are staying home this Easter as a combination of cost of living pressures, wet weather and travel warnings scupper holiday plans for the long weekend.
Around 64 per cent of Australians say they won’t be going away over the Easter holiday period, with 40 per cent unable to afford accommodation or travel expenses, according to a survey commissioned by Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) Australia.
Of the 36 per cent who will be travelling, most will stay in their home state.
“This is concerning for our tourism operators, who are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, and now face the potential flow on effects of rising living costs impacting Easter travel plans,” TTF CEO Margy Osmond said on Thursday.
Despite the downturn in consumer confidence, millions of passengers are still expected to pass through the nation’s airports, marking the busiest weekend since before the COVID pandemic.
Almost seven million travellers are expected to pass through the terminals at Sydney (2.4m), Melbourne (2.1m), Brisbane (1.4m) and Adelaide (0.8m) airports over the Easter holiday period.
Airports are preparing for the busiest weekends since Christmas 2019 and Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert says international passenger volumes are forecast to be more than double what they were last Easter.
“Despite the steep airfares, it’s clear that many Australians are prioritising an Easter holiday,” he said.
Drivers can expect a bigger police presence on the roads as authorities work to manage the 21 per cent increased risk of death or injury over the holiday period.
Rural Doctors Association of Australia president Megan Belot urged drivers to manage the risks.
“Unfortunately this often results in people travelling too fast, too tired, and too distracted to be safe,” she said.
Double demerit points will also be in force from Thursday through to Monday for drivers in NSW, the ACT and WA.
“For the last two years, we’ve seen seven fatalities on the road each Easter long weekend,” NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander Acting Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman said.
“The goal this year is to reduce that number.”
Maritime authorities are also preparing for a surge in accidents as more people head out on the water.
“The Easter school holidays is one of the busiest times on our waterways,” NSW Maritime principal manager Shane Davey said.
“It’s vital boaters make safe choices to avoid preventable incidents.”
Adding to travel worries will be the spate of wet weather set to hit around the country.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said maximum temperatures are likely to be well below average, with a series of cold fronts bringing cool, wet and windy conditions across the southern states.
Severe thunderstorms are forecast to batter the east coast on Friday with Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne all believed to be at risk of possible flash flooding, damaging wind gusts and even hail.
“We’re forecasting the risk of severe thunderstorms to extend from south-east Queensland through eastern NSW into Victoria and Tasmania,” Ms Scully said.
Hazardous surf conditions are expected to develop on the south and central coast during Sunday, extending to the north coast on Monday. The eastern ranges may even see some snow on Saturday night and Sunday.
“There will be a number of travellers or campers that may be impacted,” the BOM said.
– AAP
