Every NSW-registered vehicle to be checked by police at Qld border

Police are warning motorists attempting to enter Queensland from NSW that they will face delays of more than two hours as a ban on visitors from Sydney’s COVID-19 hot spots is enforced.

TRAFFIC jams are set to increase significantly at the border as police move to check every NSW-registered vehicle coming into Queensland.

Motorists endured queues stretching for kilometres and delays of almost two hours when the border reopened last Friday to travellers from all states except virus-plagued Victoria.

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Motorists attempting to enter Queensland from NSW are being warned of delays in excess of two hours due to a ban on visitors from Sydney’s COVID-19 hot spots. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Now, the Gold Coast’s top cop is warning of a possible repeat of the congestion after the Palaszczuk Government declared the Sydney local government areas of Liverpool and Campbellton as COVID hot spots.

Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said police would now ramp up their checks to cover vehicles not just with Victorian number plates but also all those from NSW.

“We will certainly be scrutinising NSW-registered vehicles heavily,” he said.

“The Liverpool and Campbellton LGAs (local government areas) cover about 77 suburbs and there is no way of telling if a vehicle with NSW plates is from one of those areas without pulling them over and checking.

“It will mean more congestion and delays at the border – there’s just no way around it unfortunately.”

Long lines on the M1 and Griffith Street border checkpoints. Police are now stopping all cars with NSW number plates to ask if they’ve been to Campbelltown or Liverpool. @7NewsGoldCoast @7NewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/9JRv2dNq5s

— Amelia Adam (@Amelia_Adam7) July 14, 2020

Supt Wheeler said the Queensland border pass would likely be updated to include a declaration that travellers had not been in the two Sydney hot spots in the past 14 days.

He said Queensland police were working with their NSW counterparts to manage the latest border challenge.