Coolangatta hard Qld border closures decimates businesses

Nowhere are the devastating effects of Queensland’s hard closure to NSW more evident than in the Gold Coast’s southernmost border suburb.

You know times are tough when even the local bottle shop closes its doors.

That’s the grim situation at Coolangatta on the Queensland-NSW border, as the hard border closure decimates business, amid dire predictions the ghost town atmosphere will continue for months.

Hastily handwritten “closed” signs dot the main streets with traders shuttering shops, cafes and restaurants because they and their staff can’t get to work, and many of their customers are stranded in NSW.

The local BWS, Coffee Club and Baskin Robbins stores are among businesses that have closed either indefinitely or intermittently since the border slammed shut last month. The crisis worsened on August 14 when NSW was plunged into a statewide lockdown and Queensland imposed even tougher entry restrictions.

Red Heeler Business Essentials’ Mark O'Donnell. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Cooly Kebabs owner Tim Ozergun, who along with his two staff lives in Tweed Heads, is among business owners who have shut up shop.

“I live only 150m from my shop but I can’t get there,” he said.

“It is a big stress and there are many of us in the same boat. All the savings are gone, the rent (bill) is coming and there were other payments due even before we closed the shop.

“I feel like we are hanging on to a cliff edge with our fingers.”

Mark O’Donnell, who runs Red Heeler Business Essentials on Coolangatta’s Griffith St near the border checkpoint, said he had never seen the main street so deserted in more than six years in business.

“As soon as the hard border barricades went up, trade went down 50 per cent and it stayed down.” he said.

“Some businesses have lost 100 per cent – they’ve had to close because they or their staff can’t get across the border. It’s ridiculous.”

Coolangatta footpaths are deserted. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Mr O’Donnell said he had to sack one staff member but other businesses were doing it even tougher and would not survive the predicted 10 weeks the border will remain closed.

“All of us are lost, and there is nothing at all being provided to even acknowledge there’s an issue.”

NSW has rejected Queensland’s request to temporarily move the border south so Coolangatta and Tweed Heads can resume operating as ‘twin towns’.

Mr Ozergun said the border zone had to be urgently re-established because livelihoods and lives were being destroyed.

“Coolangatta and Tweed Heads are one town, separated only by a line on the map,” he said.

“We haven’t had a case (of coronavirus) up here since I don’t know when, if ever.

“What the decision-makers are doing to us is so unfair. They need to come here and walk around for 10 or 15 minutes and they will see the pain they are causing.”

A sign on the door at Eddie’s Coolangatta. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Coolangatta footpaths are deserted. Picture: Nigel Hallett