Queensland ramps up border closures with all but three Gold Coast crossings completely closed

Queensland’s strict border closures will be ramped up from tonight, with a complete ban on NSW tourists and a complete closure of all but three border roads on the Gold Coast. Those remaining open will become police checkpoints.

NSW tourists will be completely banned from Queensland from midnight tonight under tough new border closures ushered in ahead of Easter.

Police will completely close 14 of the 17 border roads on the Gold Coast, with the other three to become police checkpoints.

Only Queenslanders with border passes, or NSW residents who have exemptions to come into Queensland – such as for work or medical appointments – will be allowed.

Under the existing border closure, NSW visitors are allowed into Queensland as long as they self-isolate for 14 days.

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Police maintain the checks at the QLD/NSW border at Coolangatta due to the COVID-19 crisis. Picture: Adam Head

But under the new ‘harder border’ closure, that will no longer be possible from midnight.

Police will completely close the backstreets of Coolangatta leading into Tweed Heads and set up a border checkpoint on Griffith St near Twin Towns RSL.

“If you don’t have a border pass or an essential reason for coming into Queensland, you will be refused entry,” Gold Coast police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said.

When the border was initially closed last week, Supt Wheeler said police had ‘revisited’ plans to completely seal off the state line leading into the Gold Coast because of the ‘interwoven’ nature of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads.

But he said the coronavirus crisis was ‘dynamic’ and the State Government has changed its ‘posture’.

Supt Wheeler also warned that groups of people continuing to sunbake on Gold Coast beaches in breach of coronavirus restrictions would be spoken to by police and possibly fined if they persisted.

Originally published as Queensland ramps up border closures with all but three Gold Coast crossings completely closed