“Our economy is resilient and by sticking to the national plan to safely reopen as vaccination rates increase, we can get Australia back on the path to recovery,’’ Jennifer Westacott, chief executive of the Business Council of Australia said.

“Today’s growth numbers show the economy was in recovery during the June quarter but the data doesn’t reflect where we are today.

“The economy is resilient but the longer hard border closures and prolonged lockdowns remain, the less resilient and less competitive we become.

“The enviable position we were in during the June quarter is rapidly slipping away from us. The national reopening plan is vital to recovery.

“The health and wellbeing of Australians must remain the priority and we support health measures remaining in place.

“The national reopening plan, informed by Doherty Institute modelling, strikes the right balance between keeping people safe and the risks of the country remaining divided and shut off from the rest of the world.

“Increasing vaccination rates remains our ticket to greater freedoms and by providing a light at the end of the tunnel more Australians will get vaccinated.

“We have shown we can bounce back and if we plan now to safely reopen, we can minimise the economic and social damage and get ourselves back on the recovery path.’’