HUGE FINES: $1300+ penalties for Burnett COVID rule-breakers

CHERBOURG Aboriginal Shire Council shows residents and visitors what they’ll be facing if new COVID restrictions are ignored.

Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor Elvie Sandow met with the Queensland Police and Cherbourg LDMG to discuss law enforcement stategies for new COVID-19 restrictions. Photo: Michael Monk

A LIST of hefty fines for local law-breakers has been released by Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, proving the council is not messing around when it comes to preventing COVID-19 from re-entering the community.

Cherbourg Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) met with Mayor Elvie Sandow on Tuesday (September 1) to address the need to clamp down early on individuals and groups flouting new COVID restrictions.

The meeting heard from Darling Downs public health physician, Dr Katie Panaretto, who reinforced the need for locals to follow new gathering restrictions in public and in the home, and the importance of not travelling to virus hot spots at this time - especially Ipswich and Inala.

Inspector Scott Stahlhut from Murgon Police Station, who is consulting with Cherbourg LDMG, told the meeting that despite there being no cases of COVID-19 in the local area, there are concerns about new restrictions not being followed.

Queensland Police have advised officers to monitor groups and gatherings, with a view to encouraging compliance and, if necessary, take enforcement action.

Anyone not following new restrictions risks the following fines:

The Cherbourg LDMG have teamed up with Cherbourg Council to lay out a plan to enforce new COVID restrictions. Photo/Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council.

The Chief Health Officer (CHO) has expanded the list of restricted Local Government Areas (LGAs), which is now in effect. The list of restricted LGAs is now:

• Brisbane City
• Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire
• Gold Coast City
• Goondiwindi Regional
• Ipswich City
• Lockyer Valley Regional
• Logan City
• Moreton Bay Regional
• Redland City
• Scenic Rim Regional
• Somerset Regional
• South Burnett Regional
• Southern Downs Regional
• Toowoomba Regional
• Western Downs Regional

In these restricted Local Government Area’s, gatherings are now limited to 10 people in the home or in public, in locations where there is no COVID Safe plan.

Visits to aged care centres, disability accommodation services and hospitals are also restricted. The affected public health directions are:

• Movement and Gathering Direction (No. 3)
• Hospital Visitors Direction (No. 6)
• Disability Accommodation Services Direction (No. 2)
• Aged Care Direction (No. 9)

The Council have advised the community to remain vigilant. If anyone knows of a person or persons in the Cherbourg region who has travelled or is travelling from a hot spot, police encourage you to report them so they can be tested.

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