Need to be careful with language on this one. Crew do not have a blanket exemption from state regulations. However state regulations do provide crew with certain exemptions to the restrictions required by everyone else.
eg: I’m in iso after an international trip. I can still attend work for my own required training or to commence another trip. The NSW state regulation exempts me from the iso requirements for those reasons only.
Yes, I still need to apply for the various border permits and so on and abide by the respective state regulations. It’s those regulations that contain the exemptions. EG under the WA stuff that was in force throughout September, I would not have been permitted into the state as all were I just seeking to travel there. However as an ‘essential worker’ I was granted an exemption from that prohibition. I then had a bunch of isolation requirements that I needed to adhere to whilst in WA until I left.
So not exempt from the state regulations, just have an exemption from various entry/ iso requirements due to essential worker status.