Four men, including two Brisbane residents, busted camping on restricted island near Townsville

A group of unhappy campers, including two Brisbane residents, have been fined for breaching COVID-19 laws on a lush tropical island off the north Queensland coast.

A GROUP of unhappy campers have been fined for breaching COVID-19 laws in Far North Queensland.

The four men, including two from Brisbane’s West End, were busted camping on Brisk Island near Palm Island north of Townsville.

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Footage released by police shows the men had set up a large camping site after accessing the island on a small fishing boat.

Police alleged the men were camping there despite the island being off limits to outsiders.

People are restricted from entering designated biosecurity areas which include all islands within the Palm Island local government area.

These islands include Palm Island, Fantome Island, Curacoa Island, Havannah Island, Brisk Island, Esk Island, Falcon Island, Barber Island, and Fly Island.

The campsite set up by the men.

Two men aged 32 and 30 from West End, a 30-year-old Mount Louisa man and a 20-year-old man Gulliver man were all issued infringements for failing to comply with the Chief Health Officer’s Home Confinement, Movement and Gathering Direction.

The incident is one of 1,955 breaches of coronavirus directions in Queensland since March 27.

Queensland Police have now issued more than $2.6 million in fines for public health transgressions since the outbreak.

Seventeen fines were issued in the last 24 hours.

The men were caught camping on Brisk Island.

Twenty-four vehicles were turned around at the border yesterday with 42 people directed into quarantine.

Almost 800 domestic passengers arrived at airports with half ordered to quarantine. Just one passenger was denied entry into the state.

Officers can also issue on the spot fines of $1334 for individuals and $6,672 for corporations which fail to abide by the health directions