Tom Tate wants M1 checkpoint between Brisbane and Gold Coast

Mayor Tom Tate wants a police checkpoint on the M1 between Brisbane and the Gold Coast in the event of a future Covid-19 outbreak to stop people ‘fleeing for a day on the beach’.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has called for more targeted lockdowns to quell future Covid outbreaks, including a police checkpoint on the M1 at the Logan River.

The mayor last week after calling for the Gold Coast to be released from the lockdown of 11 local government areas in the state’s southeast after an outbreak in Brisbane.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate says there should be a checkpoint on the M1 at Logan in the event of another Brisbane-based Covid outbreak. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Councillor Tate doubled down on radio on Monday morning, saying it didn’t make sense to punish the Gold Coast – which has been largely free of community cases of the virus for the past year, for infections in Brisbane.

He said if the wider lockdowns were to stop Brisbane residents fleeing lockdown zones for “a day at the beach”, police checkpoints should be installed on the M1 – perhaps at the Logan River.

Border checkpoints are currently in place between the Gold Coast and Tweed Shire, including on the M1 at Elanora.

“Put a checkpoint there (Logan River), it’s not that hard,” said Councillor Tate.

Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman of Gold Coast Police said such a measure would present a significant logistical challenge but would be a matter for the State government and health officials.