The federal government is defending a decision to halve Australia's international arrivals caps as state leaders bicker over whether it was the right move.
National Cabinet on Friday decided to reduce the caps by July 14 in an attempt to reduce pressure on quarantine systems, due to the increased risk posed by the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Australians trying to get home from overseas have criticised the cuts, arguing they feel like "pawns in a bigger political game."
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she shared some of their disappointment.
"Just because you're welcoming home less Australians every week, doesn't mean outbreaks aren't going to happen, mistakes aren't going to happen," she said.
"I'm disappointed that the other state leaders didn't see fit to maintain the number of Aussies coming back home."
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan hit back at those comments, arguing Ms Berejiklian was part of the decision-making process.
"She agreed to it," he said.
"So you can't go in the meeting and agree to something and then come out and say I don't agree with it. It's not really the Australian way."
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Commonwealth would put on extra repatriation flights to help some of the Australians affected by the cuts.
"And it's always about keeping the country safe.
"As much as possible, we'll try to provide as many other opportunities to bring people home through the facilitated flights, via Darwin."
Health officials start work on national plan out of pandemic
The decision to halve the arrivals caps is part of the first stage of a four-step process, aimed at eventually returning Australia back to normal.
Each stage will be triggered by reaching certain vaccination targets, which have not yet been set.
Mr Hunt said chief medical officer Paul Kelly had already started working with his state counterparts on the plan.
"We will get the medical advice shortly through the course of the work of the Doherty Institute and that will also be shared of course with the chief health officers," he said.
"And that provides the pathway to progressive normalisation."
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese accused the government of moving too slowly.
"Scott Morrison's failure to plan has been a plan to fail," he said.
"This new deal is just the old deal that has never been delivered."
