Pair’s ingenious plan to stop business becoming border ‘afterthoughts’

‘It may be able to help someone put food on the table this week’: Northern NSW pair help to alleviate border crisis with this innovative idea.

Sandy Stivey and Mel O'Connell from Word on the Coast came up with the innovative to our border crisis

As border residents were plunged into madness this week, two business experts jumped in with an innovative solution save local business from further devastation.

Kingscliff resident Sandy Stivey felt the brunt first-hand on Monday as hundreds of residents and essential workers were stopped from crossing the NSW/Queensland border.

Not only was she affected, but her partner, a tradie, was unable to cross, her son was unable to attend his Queensland school, and the family was unable to visit her partner’s stepdaughter.

Queensland Police patrol the Queensland border to NSW as the northern state continues to impose a harsh border closure. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Mel O’Connell said clients across the Gold Coast and Tweed Shire for the pair’s marketing blog, Word On The Coast, were looking to their business for help, but Ms O’Connell was unable to cross herself.

“We have cafe clients we look after and some had to close straight out, others can’t get staff across and have lost up to five members,” she said.

“The owner of one cafe was sleeping in the cafe because she lives on the other side.

“It’s really heartbreaking.”

Then the pair heard about a Kingscliff cafe looking for workers and a resident looking for work and a spark ignited.

Within hours, the page Border Life – Northern Rivers/GC was created.

Concerned tradies and business owners gathered on Wednesday at the Queensland and NSW border to discuss the current closures. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

The Facebook page hopes to connect casual workers with employers experiencing vacancies due to border complications.

The pair said they had already seen placements coming in from the page and more than 650 followers.

Requests ranged from photographers to fruit pickers to nannies and even casual teachers.

“Everyone is struggling at the moment, and there’s no joy in working, it’s becoming very grim” Ms O’Connell said.

“People are working to get through day by day.”

Police and Fire fighters at the border manage disgruntled border crossers. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

“It’s nice to have something really positive to focus on,” Ms Stivey added.

“It may be able to help someone put food on the table this week or keep doors open.”

The pair said also hoped the page could shed a light on the current crisis and the hardships small business was facing.

“There’s a real lack of clarity and lack of communication at the moment and not a lot of thinking through the finer points,” Ms O’Connell said.

“It’s like we’re an afterthought.”