Hotel Quarantine Class Action

Hotel Quarantine Class Action


Update – Settlement Approval Hearing

The settlement approval application is listed before the Honourable Justice Watson on Tuesday, 29 September 2026 at 10:30 am (AEST).

The hearing may be observed remotely using the following link:

Link: https://vimeo.com/event/6207350

Password: 20AePh94Tgq1IY

Please note that it is an offence to record, rebroadcast, screenshot, place on social media or otherwise use any audio and video from this livestream.

Important - Notice of Proposed Settlement

The Plaintiff and the Defendants have agreed to settle the class action, subject to the approval of the Court.

The Supreme Court of Victoria has therefore ordered group members be notified about a proposed settlement of the Hotel Quarantine (Business Losses) Class Action and determined to hear the application for approval of the proposed settlement on 29 September 2026.

Important details of the proposed settlement, including key things about the proposed settlement and which group members (as defined in paragraph 1 of the Further Amended Statement of Claim) it is proposed will be eligible to receive compensation under the proposed settlement, are set out in the notice and the proposed Settlement Distribution Scheme. Please note the deadline for group members to object has passed.

You can access a copy of the proposed settlement notice here. It is important that you read the notice carefully.

If there is anything in the notice that you do not understand, or if you have any questions about the notice, you may seek independent legal advice or contact Quinn Emanuel, the solicitors for the Plaintiff, by email at enquiries@hotelquarantinesettlement.com.au.


Proposed settlement

On 16 March 2026, the parties reached an in-principle settlement of $125 million, including costs.

The proposed settlement is subject to Court approval. This means that the Court must first determine if the terms of the proposed settlement are just and reasonable. This process involves many steps, including a notification period to allow group members time to consider the proposed settlement. We anticipate that a notice about the proposed settlement will now be distributed sometime later this year.

The settlement approval will take several months. Assuming that the Court approves the settlement, the Settlement Administrator will then need to assess:

  1. does the registrant meet the definition of a group member;
  2. if the registrant is a group member, whether that group member is eligible to participate in the settlement; and
  3. if eligible, calculate the amount of compensation that group member is likely to receive based on their specific circumstances.

This process will also take some time.

It is important to note that the Settlement Administrator will be an independent person, appointed by the Court - it will not be Quinn Emanuel. Quinn Emanuel will not hold any information relevant to the Settlement Administrator's assessment of your claim for compensation.

Enquiries about the proposed settlement and next steps

To ensure that we progress the proposed settlement efficiently and to maximise our resources, we are unlikely to be able to respond to any enquiries via email or phone that are already answered on our website. Our website will be updated regularly, and we encourage you to check it frequently.

Answers to commonly asked questions such as 'when will I be paid?' and 'how much will I be paid?' and 'Can I register now to participate in the settlement administration?' can be found in the FAQ section at the bottom of this page. Again, in the interest of allocating our resources appropriately, we will not be responding to those enquires.

Am I registered?

If you registered a claim in the class action, you would have been provided with a Claim ID, an eight-digit reference number starting with the digits “602XXXXXX”.

Please note, just because you have successfully registered and obtained a Claim ID, does not automatically mean you are a group member or will be eligible to participate in the proposed settlement. In accordance with the proposed Settlement Distribution Scheme, the Administrator will notify registrants about their eligibility if and when the settlement is approved by the Court.

Do you need to update your contact details?

Other than updating your contact email address, we are unable to accept changes to contact details at this time. There will be an opportunity to update your other contact details at a later stage. If you believe you are a group member and need to update your email address, please email us at enquiries@hotelquarantinesettlement.com.au and include 'Updated Contact Details' in the subject heading as well as your "old" contact details in the email so that we can locate your information.

Key Dates

16 March

2026

The parties reach an in-principle settlement. The proposed settlement is subject to Court approval.

28 April

2026

The parties attended a directions hearing before the Honourable Justice Watson in respect of the plaintiff’s preliminary approval application.

10 July 2026

The deadline to object to the proposed amendment to the group member definition has now passed.

3 August 2026

The Court approved an amendment to the group member definition in this class action. Details of that amendment and the reasons for it can be found in the Court’s ruling: 5 Boroughs NY Pty Ltd v The State of Victoria & Ors (No 8) [2026] VSC 496 which is available here: https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VSC/2026/496.html. If you believe you would have been a group member under the previous group member definition, but are not a group member under the current group member definition, you should immediately seek legal advice regarding your rights.

21 August 2026

Proposed Settlement Distribution Scheme published on website.

11 September

2026

Deadline to object to the proposed settlement has now passed.

11 September

2026

Deadline to submit Late Registrant form has now passed.

29 September

2026

at 10:30am (AEST)

Settlement Approval hearing.

FAQs

What do I need to do in response to the notice on the proposed amendment to the group member definition?

What is happening with the proposed settlement?

I wish to object to the notice in relation to the proposed amendment to the group member definition – where do I send objections?

When is the hearing on the proposed amendment to the group member definition?

Can I register now to participate in the settlement administration?

I previously registered a claim but have now sold my business, am I still an eligible group member under the proposed settlement?

How much money will I receive?

When will eligible group members receive compensation?

Why will it take this long to get paid?

Do you require any information from me?

How do I update my contact information?

What are my obligations during the Settlement Administration?

How do I contact Quinn Emanuel