Travel not needed for economic recovery: Treasury By Sarah Kendell 18 May 2021 Despite predictions in the budget that Australia’s borders will stay shut for at least another year, the head of the Treasury says the economy is recovering better than expected and doesn’t need migration to stay afloat. Addressing an Australian Business Economists event on Tuesday, Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy said the nation’s economic recovery from the shock of COVID-19 had been “stronger than we have seen from any downturn in recent history”. “I see two reasons for this stronger than expected recovery – first, Australia has had success in suppressing COVID-19 and protecting the health of Australians, more so than we hoped for in the early days of the pandemic,” Dr Kennedy said.