A travel company has been fined thousands of dollars after three busloads of tourists turned up at a zoo in regional NSW, in breach of health orders.
When the buses - with 128 guests and staff onboard - arrived at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo yesterday, staff called NSW Police.
Police said at least 76 people on board were not supposed to leave Greater Sydney under the current health orders.
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The group had left Sydney last Friday, hours before the initial lockdown of four LGAs in the city and east, and continued to travel through regional NSW after the Public Health Orders were updated on Saturday.
When the guests started to check-in at the zoo, staff realised some had been in the Greater Sydney area on or after June 21.
"In discussions prior to their arrival, Taronga had received assurances from the group that they were compliant with NSW Public Health Orders, however at the point of check-in it was revealed that the group had in fact visited the Greater Sydney area," a statement from Taronga said.
The guests were told to go home immediately, and the tour company was fined $5000.
The company owner told police he was aware of the public health orders but decided to continue the tour as planned anyway, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said today.
"But the staff at the zoo did exactly the right thing – they isolated the risk and alerted police. They did a great job to protect the local community," Mr Worboys said.
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