A NSW minister has reportedly been staying at his Central Coast holiday home despite the government pleading with Sydneysiders to stay out of regional towns to limit the spread of coronavirus.
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Arts Minister Don Harwin was reportedly found staying at his Pearl Beach holiday home on Wednesday afternoon despite his principal place of residence being Sydney's eastern suburbs, according to The Daily Telegraph
Photos taken by The Daily Telegraph show the minister at the Pearl Beach house.
It comes as the NSW government said all non-essential travel to regional NSW towns must be cancelled and urged Easter holiday-makers to indefinitely postpone their visits to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Police Commissioner Mick Fuller last week said he wanted people to stay in "their primary home" as the hospitals were equipped based on where the population is usually spread.
Mr Harwin told The Daily Telegraph he had been at the holiday home for about three weeks and in that time had only travelled to and from Sydney for a medical appointment.
The minister said he was at the holiday house for health reasons and added that his work-from-home arrangements on the Central Coast were better than in his small apartment in Sydney.
"I live in a very built-up area in Sydney with high density and here I have windows that can open so I can have the fresh air and I can walk in fresh air and I have more room in my house here than I would have in my small apartment in inner Sydney," he told The Daily Telegraph.
Officials across the world have been caught flouting self isolation rules including Scotland's chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood who resigned after being busted travelling to a second home in a rural area of Scotland's east coast.
New Zealand Health Minister David Clark offered his resignation to the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after he was caught breaking the rules of the country's lockdown by mountain-biking near his Dunedin home.
Ms Ardern said under normal circumstances she would sack him but kept him in the job as it would be too hard to replace him during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Comment has been sought from Mr Harwin and the NSW premier who was reportedly told of the arrangements a few days ago.
Australian Associated Press
