Chaos and confusion at QLD border as aged care worker among dozens turned around

Aged care workers are among the dozens of people being turned around at the Gold Coast’s hard border with New South Wales amid chaos, confusion and anger as officials struggle to interpret the rules.

There’s chaos, confusion and anger at Gold Coast border checkpoints, with even aged care workers turned around.

The first working day since NSW imposed a snap statewide seven-day lockdown on Saturday afternoon had seen frayed tempers and anxiety on the border as commuters and checkpoint officials struggle to interpret the rules.

Chloe White from Tugun, who works as a personal carer at a Murwillumbah nursing home, was among dozens of people turned back at the Griffith St checkpoint at Coolangatta.

The mother-of-two young children was heading to work in her uniform but decided to check with officials to see if she could re-enter Queensland.

She was told she couldn’t.

Border bedlam on the QLD/NSW border in Griffith St Coolangatta. Police and Emergency Services stop members of the public on the border for questioning. Picture Glenn Hampson

“I thought we’d be classed as essential workers,” she said.

“Who’s going to look after these elderly people? They can’t go to the toilet themselves, they can’t shower – they’re going to be sitting there in their pads.

“We’re already understaffed. I’m fully vaccinated and was ready to work.

“I’m glad I checked first.”

Ms White said the checkpoints were a ‘lottery’ with different officials providing different interpretations of the rules.

Nanny and Carer Kerri Tyquin stopped from going to work in NSW. Picture Glenn Hampson

Kerri Tyquin, who lives at Mudgeeraba and works as a nanny for an emergency doctor and nurse at Banora Point, was also stopped at the border on her way to work.

“I was told if I entered NSW, I wouldn’t be allowed back across or I’d have to home quarantine for 14 days,” she said.

“I’m also an NDIS carer for a five-year-old boy at Pottsville who’s in cancer remission and I won’t be able to look after him either.

“People are in the middle of the road (at checkpoints) trying to find out if they can go to work and to me that’s more dangerous.

“The fear in people who are just trying to earn a living is a little bit unnecessary.”

Border bedlam on the QLD/NSW border in Griffith St Coolangatta. Police and Emergency Services stop members of the public on the border for questioning. Picture Glenn Hampson

Some tradies are parking utes on both sides of the border to drop off materials and tools.

Elderly locals stressed about how they will get to medical appointments are also remonstrating with checkpoint officials.

There are lengthy delays at the checkpoints, with every vehicle being stopped and checked.

Many are being turned around.

Border bedlam on the QLD/NSW border in Griffith St Coolangatta. Police and Emergency Services stop members of the public on the border for questioning. Picture Glenn Hampson

Gold Coast Police Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman revealed that police had turned around more than 500 vehicles in the 24 hours to 4pm on Sunday alone on the first day of the lockdown.

He said there had been peak hour delays of up to an hour at the five Coast border checkpoints as police stopped and checked every vehicle going through.

Supt Wildman said many were trying to cross the border with incorrect passes or without letters from their employers stating they were essential workers.

He urged people to check the latest border direction to see if they were permitted to enter Queensland, and warned it was likely to change again in the coming days due to the rapidly evolving Covid-19 crisis.

Superintendent Rhys Wildman talking to the media. Picture: Jerad Williams

“Our officers are doing their utmost to get people across the border in a timely manner,” he said, adding that most people were ‘extremely understanding and very supportive’.

Supt Wildman said Tweed police were preparing for ‘additional enforcement’ on the NSW side of the border to stop people crossing on foot or passing goods across the state line.

He cited a 51-year-old man who tried to illegally cross the border four times last Friday as an example of the behaviour police were trying to stop.

The man was hit with two fines totalling more than $5500 for disobeying health directions.