Qld border: Checkpoints could remain despite reopening

Despite Queensland reopening, its dreaded border checkpoints could remain through Christmas and beyond.

The dreaded border checkpoints could stay put through Christmas and beyond despite Queensland’s long-awaited reopening.

Hopes are high that the border barricades could finally be dismantled after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that the state will reopen on December 17, five months after shutting to Covid-ravaged NSW and later Victoria.

But police say the checkpoints could remain in place for longer to check that travellers are vaccinated, creating more traffic chaos over the peak Christmas holiday season.

Under the state’s ‘Vaccine Plan to Unite Families’, the border will reopen fully on December 17, but only to those who are double jabbed and test negative for Covid. Others will have to go into government quarantine.

The future of border controls is likely to hinge on the advice of new Chief Health Officer Krispin Hajkowicz, who takes up the post on November 1 when the current CHO Jeannette Young steps down to become Queensland’s new Governor.

Police are expected to hold talks with Dr Hajkowicz, the Premier and Health Minister Yvette D’Ath to determine the risks of dismantling the checkpoints when the border reopens.

Sources say the checkpoints could be maintained for a period, or border controls could revert to random checks of motorists coming into Queensland as happened before the barricades went up.

Police resources have been stretched manning the checkpoints, with reinforcements having to be called in from across the state.

Australian Defence Force troops were deployed to the busy Gold Coast checkpoints in August to supplement police and they remain on border duty.

Maintaining the checkpoints over Christmas would likely result in holidaymakers and returning Queenslanders caught up in frustrating traffic snarls, with delays of up to two hours experienced by motorists in last year’s border closure over the festive season.

Gold Coast-based Palaszczuk Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon said there was no firm date on the removal of the border checkpoints.

“We need to make sure that particularly when we’re getting to 70 and 80 per cent that we are making sure that people are still complying,” she told the ABC.

“We then need to determine who has been vaccinated versus who hasn’t because there are different rules that will apply.”