Leading executives from some of Australia’s largest businesses are fleeing east in response to ongoing delays to re-opening the Western Australian (WA) border. Rob Scott, CEO of AU$60 billion retail group Wesfarmers, will base himself out of the group’s Melbourne office for an “extended period” after saying it was “virtually impossible” to run the conglomerate—which owns national retail brands Officeworks, Bunnings, Kmart, and Target—from Perth. Key executives will also be making a move east, following an announcement from WA Premier Mark McGowan to delay the re-opening of the state’s border—slated for Feb. 5—due to the outbreak of the Omicron strain of COVID-19 in eastern Australia states. “The uncertainty around when the border might re-open and the continuing inflexibility towards business-critical travel means that it is now virtually impossible to run a national business from Perth,” Scott said in comments obtained by the Australian Financial Review. “It’s no longer just an inconvenience, it’s …