Business owner stranded in Tweed by border testing delays

Waiting more than 48 hours for his second PCR test, this Tasmanian business owner is struggling to access crucial agricultural supplies across the Queensland border.

Tim Phillips, who is trying to reach Queensland for vital agricultural supplies, has been stuck on the south of the border as he awaits the results of his second PCR test. Picture: Liana Boss

At 5am on Christmas morning, Tim Phillips was a long way from home and standing in line for a Covid-19 test.

He’s double-vaccinated and he’s not sick; Mr Phillips, a business owner from Tasmania, has been trying for more than a week to get into Queensland.

He and his wife run a business supplying vital agricultural services to farms, based in the north of Tasmania.

They have seven employees who won’t have a job to do if he can’t get vital supplies back home by January 4.

“We own and run what’s called a tissue culture laboratory,” he said.

“We’re producing berry plants for distribution all across Australia.

“What we’re collecting from Queensland is product for manufacture.”

Mr Phillips said that product wasn’t going to be ready for collection until December 22 and he couldn’t secure a third party company that could guarantee delivery by the date they needed it.

So he opted to take the trip himself.

Mr Phillips left Tasmania on December 20 and first tried to cross the Queensland border at Goondiwindi last Tuesday but was turned back to a testing clinic 200km away in Narrabri.

He said that clinic was run out of ACL which operates out of Newcastle.

“I’m still waiting for those results,” he said.

He said because of Queensland’s 72 hour test window rules, the time frame for that test to apply for his border pass had expired.

He then travelled to the coast and was retested in Tweed Heads on Christmas morning.

“I went to the Tweed Hospital Christmas morning,” he said.

“I was there at 5am and there were five people already in front of me.”

He said he was tested about 9.15.

More than 48 hours later, he was still waiting for a result on Monday.

In the meantime, he’s looking at a range of options.

“The first option that we’ve come up with is if we could find a truck driver with a medium rigid licence that could take our truck across to Ormiston … get it loaded and bring it back,” he said.

He said a kind-hearted Tweed resident had offered a yard and forklift at Merimbula if they can get another truck to pick up his stock and transport it across the border.

“It will be extremely damaging to our business as it stands just losing the window of opportunity,” he said.

While he can stay in his truck, Mr Phillips faced an extra challenge when his battery went flat on Sunday night after having been stationary for so long.

“Hino Australia have got a helpline which I’m part of,” he said.

“They had someone out here at 7.30 this morning and got the problem fixed.

“NRMA came out at their behest which was fabulous.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one, there seems to be a lot of people around in this area who are stuck.

“If it’s holidays, I sort of commiserate with them but this is a business issue.”

Mr Phillips said among the farms they supply were apple orchards impacted by bushfire last year.

He said it was an “absolutely crucial time” to get the supplies back to his business.

“Poor old NSW and Victoria are copping it; their system is overloaded with all us interlopers as well as your own people needing testing,” he said.

“I believe it’s in total meltdown.

“If there’s someone out there that can help me, I’d greatly appreciate that.”