Add Category
Updated
New South Wales Police will not take further action after looking into reports of a federal senator's Airbnb holiday home being rented out well after coronavirus travel restrictions were put in place.
Key points:
- Senator O'Neill's AirBnb reportedly hosted paying guests in recent weeks
- The NSW Health Minister says he is "disappointed"
- Police say they are making inquiries after receiving a report
Labor senator Deborah O'Neill confirmed the $310-per-night property was hers, but said she had restricted bookings so that only essential workers would be allowed to stay there from now on.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the property hosted paying guests in recent weeks and at least one review on the Airbnb page, dated April 2020, mentions coronavirus-related travel restrictions.
The reviewer raved about how the property was used for "a weekend away for our friends who had to postpone their wedding due to COVID-19."
"All bookings made are clearly informed … that occupants must comply with the recent changes to the law due to COVID-19," Senator O'Neill said in a statement.
"Unless someone is an essential service worker, all future bookings have been cancelled."
A spokeswoman for NSW Police said officers had received a report, but that no wrongdoing had been found in relation to Senator O'Neill.
"As a result of inquiries, no criminal offence has been detected in relation to the owner of the property," she said.
"At this stage no further police action is proposed."
Conduct 'disappointing': Hazzard
Earlier, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he was concerned by the reports.
"If it's true then it's disappointing, to say the least," he said.
Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak
But the state's Shadow Treasurer Walt Secord said there were clear differences between Senator O'Neill's case and that of former NSW arts minister Don Harwin, who resigned after spending time at his holiday home against travel restrictions.
"The Airbnb issue involving Deborah O'Neill was dumb and silly, but I know that she's rectified it now," he said.
"But you cannot compare that to what Don Harwin did. He drove back and forth three times and police felt that his infraction was enough to get a $1,000 fine."
At a federal level, Government MP Andrew Laming was reluctant to criticise Senator O'Neill.
"I'd back Deb O'Neill on this one," he said.
"Ultimately it's up to the individual to make sure that if they leave their home it's for an essential purpose."
Mr Laming said he also owned a holiday rental property and had no idea who, if anyone, was staying there at the moment.
What you need to know about coronavirus:
Topics: government-and-politics, infectious-diseases-other, federal-government, health, respiratory-diseases, covid-19, community-and-society, australia, nsw
First posted