Australian Constitutional 101 lesson for those who need it.

The constitution designates areas as exclusively for the federal govt (like defence), those that aren’t mentioned which fall exclusively to the states and ‘concurrent powers, where both the fed and states can legislate

Quarantine is a concurrent power. The federal govt has legislated its power through acts like the Biosecurity Act. However they have not ‘covered the field’ which means state laws, such as public health acts and orders can operate.

To the extent the federal and state laws attempt to cover the same area, the federal law will apply to the extent of any inconsistency.

All this means is quarantine is a power that both legislatively & practically been used by both federal and state govts.

We can certainly argue the feds could and poss. should have done more. But to say they have sole constitutional responsibility is misleading and inaccurate.