Border bubble to go ahead: Everything you need to know
People who live either side of the border will be allowed to move freely between the Gold Coast and Tweed Shire for any reason. This is how it will all work. CHECK IF YOU’RE IN THE BUBBLE WITH OUR INTERACTIVE MAP
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The Gold Coast and Tweed will form a border bubble after new measures were revealed on Friday.
People who live either side of the border will be allowed to move freely between the Gold Coast and Tweed Shire for any reason from 1am on Saturday.
‘Border bubble’: Plan to allow Qld tourists into parts of NSW
However, they will not be allowed to travel deeper in to respective states.
For instance, Gold Coasters are not allowed to travel to Byron Bay or beyond unless granted a special exemption or performing an essential service.
Conversely, Tweed residents will not be allowed to travel north of the Gold Coast.
They will also be refused entry to Queensland or forced in to quarantine if it is established they have travelled further south than the Tweed before trying to enter Queensland.
Gold Coast police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said the ‘border zone’ would allow all residents of Gold Coast City and Tweed Shire council areas to travel freely across the border for any purpose, including recreation.
“If you’re a Gold Coast resident, you’ll be able to go down to Kingscliff for a surf but not to Byron Bay,” he said.
“If you step out of the Tweed Shire, your ability to come back into Queensland stops.
“Byron Bay is completely off limits.
The new pass system would hopefully be available late this afternoon.
Those within the bubble will need an X-pass, to be updated every seven days, and identification showing an address.
Children who are with their parents will not need that identification.
Chief Supt Wheeler said the “bubble” was very defined with Tweed residents who work in Brisbane unable to access the capital city.
“It’s very defined. They recognise the cross border communities are very unique. But they only go as far north as Ormeau in the Gold Coast City Council area,” Supt Wheeler said.
The decision to create the border bubble was made late on Thursday.
It was expected that only residents with essential reasons for crossing the border, such as work and medical appointments, would be given passes but the Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young is believed to have relaxed her stance.
Supt Wheeler said the creation of the ‘border zone’ would create a tourism ‘bubble’ for the Gold Coast and Tweed and allow locals to dine and recreate on both sides of the border.
The Queensland Government defines a border zone resident as someone who lives in a community on the Queensland-New South Wales border.
This includes both sides of the border – people who live in Queensland but work or go to school in their neighbouring border town, or people who live in NSW but come to work or school in their neighbouring border town in Queensland. Border zone residents can cross the border for any purpose.
Queensland border zone residents cannot travel outside the border zone in NSW and NSW border zone residents cannot travel outside the border zone in either Queensland or NSW.