Border wall to stop illegal entry via Coolangatta
A border wall is being erected at Coolangatta to stop rat-runners sneaking into Queensland after police said the area is being used as a way to illegally enter the state.
QLD News
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A 700m border wall is being erected at Coolangatta to stop rat-runners sneaking into Queensland.
Frustrated police have called for the wall after problems with motorists driving around plastic barriers on a Coolangatta backstreet that leads into Tweed Heads.
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The water barricade wall running almost the length of Dixon St is being erected today by the Gold Coast City Council.
It follows problems with mainly border residents, including Tweed Heads Hospital visitors, skirting the border blockade.
Police say motorists have been driving over an embankment next to the closed roundabout at the intersection of Dixon and Florence streets to illegally enter Queensland.
The problem has increased after the Sydney local government areas of Liverpool and Campbelltown were declared COVID hotspots on Tuesday, leading to delays of up to two hours at the border checkpoints.
Police are now pulling over and checking every NSW-registered vehicles.
Police are patrolling Dixon St to stop the rat-runners until the border wall is erected.
Meanwhile, police hope a new-look vehicle pass will ease frustrating delays at Queensland border checkpoints.
The new pass, which shows the expiry date in large, bold letters, came into effect on Thursday.
It’s introduction follows delays of up to two hours at the checkpoints after Sydney local government areas Liverpool and Campbelltown were declared COVID-19 hotspots.
Gold Coast police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said the new pass would make it easier for officers manning the checkpoints and hopefully speed up traffic flow.
But he warned: “The one thing that will not change - there will still be delays.”
“That’s unfortunately an iron-clad guarantee,” he said.
“We’re funnelling tens of thousands of vehicles a day through one lane to visually assess and then filter either to an express lane or to an inspection bay.
“So irrespective of saving time (with the new pass), and we will, there will still be delays.”
Supt Wheeler admitted he was ‘concerned’ about emergency services vehicles being caught up in cross-border traffic jams and said priority access points were being looked at.