Traffic delays at Qld-NSW border after tech glitch rejects addresses

There are big delays at the Queensland border this morning after restrictions eased overnight, with police admitting a technical glitch had caused some eligible travellers to be rejected from entering the state.

Technical dramas have marred the reopening of the Queensland border to northern NSW, with some people blocked from getting a border pass.

Large queues of traffic formed at the border from 12.30am on Thursday morning in preparation for its 1am opening to five new local government areas including Byron Bay, Ballina and Lismore.

Qld coronavirus: Border delays expected as state opens, ADF pulls out

But police say people from seven northern NSW suburbs have been unable to obtain border passes when they log onto the Queensland Government website due to a technical glitch which saw their addresses rejected.

Gold Coast police chief superintendent Mark Wheeler said the glitch was expected to be ironed out and people from the affected suburbs could still enter Queensland.

“If they come to the border checkpoints with proof of ID and address, we will get them through,” he said.

“This is the 15th iteration of the border pass system and there are twists and turns whenever it changes. The first few days are invariably a bit of a rough road which is why we ask people to be patient and make sure they are displaying their border passes.”

Supt Wheeler said delays of about 30 minutes were being experienced at the border checkpoints which was ‘not unexpected’.

He said about 30 people had been refused entry since the border reopened to northern NSW.

About 150,000 northern NSW residents can now travel freely into Queensland, while Queenslanders can also visit areas including Byron Bay without having to quarantine on their return.

Queensland residents intending on travelling within the NSW border zone before re-entering the state will need to apply for the updated ‘X’ pass, also known as the Border Zone Resident Declaration Pass.