Catch my disease? We say no thanks to Sydney-siders

OPINION: With NSW school holidays rapidly approaching, Sydney-siders will be heading here. But should they?

THE NSW school holidays are rapidly approaching at the end of this month, and with the Queensland border firmly shut, where else are Sydneysiders and others going to go except the Northern Rivers?

It's about as far north as you can get without crossing into Queensland, and it's a hell of a lot warmer than southern parts of the states at this time of year.

Problem is, they are coming from COVID-19 hot spots and do we actually want them here and can we cope if infected visitors start an outbreak here?

With a good number of businesses, restaurants, accommodation providers and tourist operators in pandemic hibernation, is there even enough places to stay and things to do even if Sydney-siders do swamp us?

 

Byron Bay's Main beach and Clarkes beach showing the effects of coastal erosion after high tides in August.

 

To travel, or not to travel during a pandemic has become one of those interesting moral questions.

Sure, there is TECHNICALLY nothing stopping you from getting in a car and travelling far and wide in NSW.

But during a pandemic, when there are dire consequences for others, it may not necessarily be the wisest thing to do right now.

Indeed, the NSW Health website states: "There is currently no limit on the distance that a person may travel, however NSW Health recommends non-essential domestic travel should be avoided".

Pandemic fatigue for Sydney-siders, and thinking they deserve a holiday, shouldn't trump the health and safety of the citizens of the Northern Rivers.

And we are at an important crossroads as this pandemic continues.

As a border region, the Northern Rivers is far closer to Brisbane than it is to Sydney.

Economically, health and education wise, even socially, our future is inextricably linked with cross border connections with Queensland.

So while we are trying to break back into Queensland during COVID-19, it makes no sense, and no dollars and cents, to allow Sydney-siders to ruin all that just because they want to take a holiday up here.