Missing Gold Coast dog’s mystery trip across NSW-Qld border
A Parkwood family’s beloved pet went missing from their backyard last month, only to be found five days later in NSW.HOW HE MADE IT HOME >>>
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JUST like the mythological hero he was named after, Hercules the dog has shown his strength during one incredible adventure.
Parkwood resident Prue Howard’s beloved family pet went missing from her backyard last month and was found five days later in NSW.
Due to border closures, it took almost two weeks before Hercules could be reunited with his family on the Gold Coast.
When the dog went missing, Mrs Howard was convinced he would return on his own within a few days.
“As we got to day three, four and five – your hope starts to go,” she said.
“Those last few days in particular, you start to get emotional and hope he’s OK.”
Six days after he went missing, a woman contacted Mrs Howard’s husband via Facebook after seeing a post about Hercules on a lost and found dog group.
Mrs Howard said the woman found the beagle on a dirt road at the base of Mt Lindesay, over the NSW border.
Hercules was groggy, had no collar and was found near thick scrubland.
After connecting with Mrs Howard’s husband on Facebook, the woman took the dog to a vet where a microchip number confirmed the abandoned dog was Hercules.
But how the beagle went missing and managed to cross the border is still a mystery.
Now reunited with her pet, Mrs Howard thanked the community for their support and kindness.
“We’re so relieved,” she said.
“He’s a member of our family and we’re excited to have him back.”
‘Trying to lift people’s spirits’: Blokes hit back at border blues - September 2
A GROUP of mates have eased tensions over Queensland’s border closure to NSW with the help of some friendly competition at the state line.
James Longstaff, Lacclan Gottfried, Michael Croker took to the border on Wednesday, facing off in their own version of State of Origin – a table tennis match.
Footage of the playful showdown emerged online to much fanfare, with many users quickly applauding the men for their lighthearted gesture.
With each side donning their respective colours of Maroon and Blue it seemed the match proved a draw card for many, including media and police.
Mr Longstaff said there were no issues with police despite being ordered to move on, telling followers: “(The) cop was very nice guys and was all within the rules of Covid,” he said.
He added the group – known to be friends with influencer Troy Candy - were “trying to lift people’s spirits despite the tough times we’re going through.”
Another member of the group Shannon took to social media, slamming the “Karens” who he suspected had informed police of the game.
“They knew way too much when they rocked up,” he said. “I don’t even know who won, I think New South Wales maybe took it in the bag.”
Why Tweed bloke’s t-shirt is creating a stir at border
A TWEED resident unable to travel to his Gold Coast sport apparel design business is using creativity to lighten border closure tension.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu gear seller and designer Nick Richards has formed the Border Social Club – with its own line of merchandise – in an bid to keep spirits high.
With a bright orange barricade and a seagull atop as its logo, the statement tees regarded as a “gesture of solidarity” are creating a stir online and plenty of sales.
Daily sightings of loved ones and businesspeople reuniting at the Queensland-NSW border inspired it: “I noticed there’s always people trading goods over the border. There was even family singing to each other.
“The response has been great, we did it as a joke with a few of our friends. We just circulated the design and made a few. All sorts of random people are buying them now though.”
Just last week, the Bulletin revealed a mother-of-five had been forced to leave her family behind in Gold Coast to ensure the survival of her Tweed Heads West cafe.
Despite his own business operating at 30 per cent, he said it was important cross-border communities try to make light of the situation by any means possible.
“It’s impacted us a lot because our business, gyms are closed so people aren’t buying gear, it’s been very difficult,” Mr Richards said, adding he’d been forced to meet up with his ageing parents at the border.
An online store has been established to spruik the tees – in black or white – for under $50 with shipping included.
“We did it in such a way that we didn’t want to profit from it. We’ll go around to pubs once the borders are open and donate the funds,” Mr Richards said.
“When all this is over I want to see people wearing the tees years from now, thinking of it as a fun souvenir from that time.”
Surfing heavyweights join calls for better business support - August 25
A PAIR of world champion surfers have joined an ad campaign S. O. S for small businesses doing it tough on the southern Gold Coast.
Joel Parkinson and Mark Occhilupo are in a new ‘Essentially Cooly’ campaign, launched on Monday. It’s the brainchild of Coolangatta Surf Club manager Steve Edgar and naturopath Sam Beau Patrick. Their message is everyone is essential.
Mr Edgar said they brainstormed the almost two-minute clip – with Parkinson urging people to come down to “Coooool-in-gatta” – after seeing the devastation of lockdown and border closures after a meeting with 120 business owners.
“It’s just moving a little bit too slow for us; we need to move really quickly. Every single day is like a ticking time bomb, we just need help, we need it really quickly,” Mr Edgar said.
It comes as the Bulletin this week revealed business confidence was at rock bottom. A Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) survey said up to 30 per cent of business feared not making 2022.
“The thing that really resonated with me was the emotional pain,” Ms Beau Patrick said.
“Businesses are dying a thousand deaths, so we’ve gone out and we’ve made a commercial. We want people to come down and experience everything that is Coolangatta.”
Mr Edgar hoped the video highlighted just how dire the situation at the border was and it would inspire people to visit – and spend some cash – in the area.
Queensland and New South Wales governments are reportedly underway to review arrangements for border communities.
Member for Currumbin Laura Gerber said it was fantastic to see the community unite with “a message of hope.”
“What is bitterly disappointing is the Queensland Government still has not stepped up to support border businesses,” she said. “These businesses and our border community are not giving up, they are not going down without a fight.
“What they need now is for the Qld government to show them they matter, Labor must deliver a targeted border closure support package and reinstate the border bubble.”
‘People are suicidal’: Border lockdown to last until Christmas
August 26, 2021
THEY are in shock, depressed and some suicidal. Struggling Queensland-NSW border businesses trapped in lockdown are being warned they will need to ride it out until the year’s end.
The Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce — after receiving a record number of calls from distressed small business operators — has sent a blunt message out in a letter to their members.
Their advice is “don’t wait for the regional lockdown to lift” because by then their businesses will be bankrupt. Operators must take individual measures now to secure their financial future. The lockdown could last to Christmas.
A Coolangatta business operator told the Bulletin the ongoing border closure was having a severe impact on mental health.
“People are suicidal. They can’t get their businesses started. They are depressed,” the operator said.
“They can’t see their families. People are sick of being told bite the bullet for the rest of the State.”
The Chamber in the letter to members said it was clear from recent briefings that
Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young “made it very clear that these changes were in place for at least ten weeks”.
“In fact since that meeting the only messaging we have heard when we’ve spoken to various other bodies is that this new set of border control rules will remain until there are at least 80 per cent of the population vaccinated. If anyone is in any doubt, that means until at least October, or November, or maybe even longer than that,” the Chamber wrote.
“Our advice to every business that is struggling with this change on either side of the NSW-QLD (sic) border, or worse is closed by the impacts, is this — DON’T (sic) wait for the NSW regional lockdown to lift in a couple of weeks, because that will be time wasted. That will not signal a lifting of these border restrictions.”
The Chamber has cautioned business owners that their staff will need to have months of annual or sick leave to maintain their incomes to Christmas.
“Businesses MUST (sic) start to make arrangements now to salvage whatever can be saved. “Every day you wait now for the border closure to change, is a day that you will have waited in vain, if you aren’t changing to this new imposed business model,” the chamber wrote.
Businesses were warned the number of people crossing the border has decreased from about 10,000 a day last Monday to only around 2350 on Saturday — and could diminish further. Prior to COVID-19 there were over 20,000 vehicles every hour on the M1 in the section approaching the border.
“As the situation is now, if you are not now considered ‘essential’, you are NOT (sic) going across the border for a very long time,” the chamber said.
Chamber president Hilary Jacobs is imploring impacted businesses to fill out a survey so the chamber can lobby the Queensland and NSW governments to introduce financial packages to help operators in both states.
“I’m hearing more inquiries this week than through the whole of Covid,” Ms Jacobs told the Bulletin.
“People are navigating their way through, putting staff on sick leave. But no-one has ten months of sick and annual leave. Small businesses are the ones really hurting.”
Ms Jacobs said some Queensland-based businesses owned by NSW-based residents were faced with the challenge of finding staff.
But they were reluctant to “poach someone from Queensland”, spend money on training and then employing a staffer for what would be only a casual position.
Other northern NSW families were opposed to splitting up their homes and arranging for some members to work and relocate to the Gold Coast.
“I think a lot of people are being taken by surprise in this. We don’t want people sitting back for a week or so thinking it will all be fine,” Ms Jacobs said.
“There isn’t proper government support in place for these people. You can’t claim anything from the Queensland Government if your business was running during lockdown. But you can’t claim from NSW because your business is in Queensland. We need a package from both governments that help Queensland and NSW.”
Coolangatta business operator Sam Beau Patrick said she had met with Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan, Currumbin MP Laura Gerber and area councillor Gail O’Neill where businesses sought support for a homemade video advertisement for the border strip.
Ms Beau Patrick has called on both Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Mayor Tom Tate to visit the businesses affected.
“We pitched the “Essentially Cooly” commercial that we have made to get people to Cooly.
We asked for them to fund ad placement on TV to get day-cations and weekend accommodation kick coming down,” she said.
“We pointed out how the border has deterred people, not to mention that 60 per cent plus trade coming from south of the border and how Cooly is brunting the front line for Queensland with zero support from State government.”
In a flyer being delivered to retailers, Ms Beau Patrick wrote: “We are businesses just like you, feeling your pain. We can do this with or without the above support I have every faith in Cooly. We just need to band together.”
Currumbin MP Laura Gerber said the State Government had to step up and support small and family businesses asked to “shoulder the burden of keeping the rest of Queensland safe”.
“The border community is being smashed by the border closure and it is time the State Government smashed out a targeted support package for our decimated community,” she said.
“Border businesses need cash and confidence to stay open but many small and family businesses are yet to see a cent of government money, let alone a path forward.
“Our community will not survive without targeted support and a roadmap to the easing of border restrictions.
“A plan must be released to give border business owners and their staff hope.”
Mayor Tom Tate told the Bulletin: “I fully agree that the economic and social pain being felt at the border is dire. “With respect, I don’t need to do a street walk to have this confirmed to me. A street walk of this nature may even be viewed as a media stunt so I’d rather focus on action.
“Right now, I am in constant contact with business leaders through both the chamber and Cr Gail O’Neill. I again encourage both Premier Palaszczuk and Premier Berejiklian to urgently create a border bubble in the Tweed LGA.
“Today, there are zero cases in that area and a border bubble would alleviate the enormous pain for hundreds, if not thousands, of residents and businesses on both sides.
“Ultimately, the decision is a joint state-policing matter but whatever it takes, a border buddle within the Tweed LGA is my priority.’’
Ms Palaszczuk told the Bulletin that she felt “incredibly sorry” for businesses suffering as a result of the border closure and said she was seeking further Federal assistance.
“I was on the Gold Coast only last week where I met with the Mayor along with Patricia and Paul from Destination Gold Coast,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“I know businesses are hurting. I feel incredibly sorry for operators on the Gold Coast who are suffering as a result of the most recent Delta outbreak in NSW.
“Recently we announced a joint $600 million package to support businesses struggling as a result of the pandemic.
“About one in every four approved applications has been paid out to a Gold Coast business.
“My government will continue to offer as much support as possible to help keep businesses afloat.
“And I will continue to lobby federal members on the Gold Coast – Karen Andrews and Stuart Robert – for more support from the Commonwealth.
“I urge anyone in Queensland looking to book a holiday to head to the Gold Coast.
“The southern Gold Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
“If you can, please book a holiday and support local businesses and local workers.”
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Originally published as Missing Gold Coast dog’s mystery trip across NSW-Qld border
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