Coronavirus Gold Coast: Traffic chaos on first new of day reintroduced Queensland-New South Wales border closure
Frustrated motorists have revealed their horror stories after massive tailbacks developed at Gold Coast border crossings. LATEST UPDATES >>>
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FRUSTRATED motorists have taken to social media to vent after waiting two hours or more to cross checkpoints at the Queensland-New South Wales border.
Traffic banked up through Tweed Heads South, clogging local roads, impeding hospital access and forcing residents to queue in crawling traffic to complete everyday errands.
Some border zone residents are simply parking either side of the checkpoints and walking across.
Facebook pages such as Border Closure Updates QLD/NSW and Tweed Heads Byron Bay Murwillumbah Weather and Road Info have been rife with motorists at their wits end.
“2 hours from the tunnel going Northbound into the Gold Coast and still not at the border Crossing,” one woman wrote.
Another woman said: “Been on Wharf street for 1 and a half hours! Anyone got an empty bottle? I need a leak!!!!”
Earlier on Friday, a motorist waiting in a queue on the Gold Coast Highway said they had “only moved 600 metres in an hour”.
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Tweed councillor James Owen, who has been pushing for a “locals border pass”, said he was aware a Tweed resident working on the M1 upgrade at Burleigh left home in Kingscliff at 5am and did not get to work until 7.15am. The trip usually takes less than half-an-hour.
Cr Owen has penned a letter to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian about access to Tweed Hospital being impeded due to the border situation.
Northern NSW Local Health District revealed last year almost 40 per cent of Tweed Hospital staff live in Queensland and about 20 per cent of patients also cross the border
“I urgently write to you in relation to the concerning difficulties being experienced today regarding access to and from the Tweed Hospital resulting from traffic gridlock due to the reestablishment of NSW/QLD border checkpoints,” Cr Owen wrote.
“I am writing to request that the NSW and QLD State Governments work together to implement, as a matter of urgency, a priority dedicated access, to and from, the Tweed Hospital for patients, staff, people seeking treatment, and emergency service vehicles.
“The Tweed Hospital serves residents of both NSW and QLD who reside in our border community. If border checkpoints are going to be in place long term, a solution to alleviate these issues, and to ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of the community, must be prioritised.”
Some motorists have reported shorter trips and delays vary depending on the time of day, route, traffic flow, vehicle numbers and other factors.
‘PLEASE BE PATIENT’: POLICE PLEA AMID MASSIVE DELAYS
Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski has urged motorists to be patient at the border in the wake of the sudden closure.
Motorists faced delays of more than an hour and a half on Friday morning following the reintroduction of physical barriers at Gold Coast border crossings.
One driver reported that they “only moved 600m in an hour”.
Mr Gollschewski said every time Queensland erected border checkpoints “there are backups” and he warned “that will continue” until motorists adjust to reintroduced system.
“Now is the time for patience,” he said.
“As always, anyone that is trying to do the right thing and might get it wrong, we will work with them.
“But it’s very important if they (motorists) can get it right when they come to the border they will get through much more quickly.
“As that operation unfolds we’ll be updating you on what we’re seeing there.”
Mr Gollschewski said police intercepted 1416 vehicles at the border on Thursday, four of which were turned around. One person was placed in hotel quarantine.
He said 1220 people were processed at domestic air borders, 15 people were refused entry and 100 people went into hotel quarantine. 170 international travellers were processed, but Mr Gollschewski did not indicate any non-compliance from the overseas travellers.
On Thursday, 270 heavy vehicles were intercepted, 23 did not have the correct border passes and six had travelled from a hot spot.
“We did issue three penalty infringement notices under the regime for the pandemic and they all related to heavy freight vehicle operations,” Mr Gollschewski said.
“And on that heavy vehicle operation, the reminder is there to all freight drivers coming into Queensland that we will continue that operation as part of our hard border closure. They (vehicles) will still be checked in terms of their compliance.”
Police handed out just 35 face masks state-wide.
“The masks are with us for a bit longer … please carry them, please wear them,” he said.
“We really would like to not have to hand out any masks, because that would mean everyone is getting that right.”
Queensland has recorded one new locally acquired case, which chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young described as “a new outbreak”.
A flight attendant from the northern Brisbane suburb Banyo travelled on six separate flights between Brisbane, Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay.
She has tested positive to the Covid-19 Delta variant.
“It is absolutely urgent that we get every passenger on those flights tested as soon as possible,” Acting Premier Steven Miles said.
“Given this is some time ago, if we can get all of the passengers tested, that will give a picture of whether there is a greater risk here than we’re currently aware of.”
The Banyo woman first noticed symptoms on July 13, but she was only tested on Wednesday and had her result on Thursday.
Dr Young was baffled no more cases had been linked to the flight attendant, despite “enormous amounts of testing”.
“It’s not actually making sense to me that we’ve got this and we’ve not had other cases because we know with the Delta variant - and I’ve confirmed that it is the Delta variant - we know that it usually spreads within two days,” Dr Young said.
“In Victoria they are seeing spread from one person to the next in 30 hours so I would have expected there would have been spread and then spread and then spread, and I’ve not seen that.”
Dr Young said more information was needed before a lockdown would be considered.
She said it was possible the flight attendant had “done everything that was required”, including social distancing and practising proper hygiene.
Meanwhile, NSW Health has described the discovery of Covid-19 fragments in a Byron Bay sewage plant as “of great concern”.
The health authority issued an alert on Thursday and urged residents to get tested for the virus.
“Everyone in the area is asked to be especially vigilant for symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately come forward for testing and isolate until a negative result is received,” a statement read.
On Friday, NSW announced 136 new locally acquired cases, while Victoria revealed it had detected 14 new locally acquired cases.
90-MINUTE DELAYS AT BORDER
MOTORISTS face traffic chaos and delays of an hour-and-a-half or more at the Queensland-New South Wales border after authorities declared the southern state a hot spot and reintroduced checkpoints.
The Queensland Government closed the border at 1am and since then traffic jams have been reported on the Gold Coast Highway and M1.
Traffic has been backed up past the Tugun tunnel and some motorists have complained of waits of more than an hour-and-a half to enter Queensland.
Photos show long lines of vehicles stretching south into NSW.
Some motorists have resorted to parking and walking across the divide to be picked up by friends.
One tradie told Bulletin staff he had waited an hour and 45 minutes before finally giving up and calling a friend to meet him on the NSW side of the border.
“I couldn’t afford to wait any longer,” he said.
It’s understood the Ducat street blockade – once a popular “shortcut” for border crossings – is closed off, forcing drivers to turn around.
Others are being redirected by border guards in order to have their passes checked.
On Thursday, Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski warned motorists of likely delays and urged the community to “pack your patience”.
The traffic woes come as Byron Bay residents have been put on alert after Covid-19 was detected in the town’s sewage system, despite a lack of known cases in the Byron Shire.
Health authorities have described the find as “of great concern”.
The Byron coronavirus scare comes as concerns have also been raised about a Queensland flight attendant who reportedly tested positive after working on flights.
COAST ‘MAY AS WELL BE IN LOCKDOWN’
CITY leaders say the Gold Coast “may as well be in lockdown” – with major states now shut to combat Covid spreading as they launch a desperate plea for federal economic help.
Mayor Tom Tate, Gold Coast Airport boss Chris Mills, Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan and Village Roadshow theme parks chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa made a united pitch for Prime Minister Scott Morrison not to forget the city as Queensland closed borders again.
Cr Tate said the city would be economically better off in lockdown because it would then qualify for new federal government grants: “We are doing our best but (Canberra should) show us a bit of love.
“The federal government should see there is a problem for Queensland businesses and a subsidy needs to be done because we are losing income.
“It doesn’t take a genius. I’m not asking a genius, I’m asking the Prime Minister.”
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Queensland closed its borders to NSW at 1am Friday, and with the rest of Australia’s east coast in lockdown, the Gold Coast is cut off from its two biggest tourism markets – Melbourne and Sydney.
Traffic at Gold Coast Airport plummeted to near levels not seen since the pandemic’s first wave.
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Mr Mills said the airport was at 10 per cent of pre-Covid capacity, down from 80 per cent in May: “Gold Coast Airport was on track to reach 100 per cent of pre-Covid-19 capacity this month but that milestone will now be out of reach for some time.
“We know the lack of passengers flows on to the thousands of tourism businesses in the city that were counting on a busy July holiday period.
“The numbers we are seeing are reminiscent of last year but this time businesses no longer have support of JobKeeper.
“Tourism and aviation needs a clear plan to keep domestic borders open, and strong support to restart activity. When the lockdowns end and borders reopen, there is still no certainty that they will stay open.”
Mr Mills said vaccination timelines and targets should point to when state border closures and lockdowns would no longer be required.
The closure of the border is expected to last four weeks, with a bubble in place to allow northern NSW residents to enter Queensland at the Coolangatta-Tweed divide.
Residents in the nominated border bubble zone will be able to come into Queensland for limited reasons, including health care, work, education, essential shopping and to provide care to vulnerable people.
Mr Randhawa, forced to close Village Roadshow’s parks for eight weeks in 2020, said the gates were still open but admitted to “difficult and trying circumstances”.
“Certainly, we’ve seen a reduction. We’re quite concerned with being locked out of the rest of the Australian market.”
Asked if new federal aid grants for lock-downed businesses should be eligible for Gold Coast firms, he said: “One hundred per cent. It is virtually impossible to run a business in such circumstances. You might as well be closed than have no one coming through.”
Individuals in declared hot spots can get a Covid disaster payment, for casual workers not already receiving Jobseeker or a youth allowance.
Workers doing eight-to-20 hours of work can get $375 and if 20 or more hours have been lost, it’s $600. The liquid assets test has been scrapped.
The 2021 Covid-19 business grant is a one-off of $7500 to $15,000, depending on the percentage of lost revenue.
NSW on Thursday recorded 124 new locally acquired cases while Victoria had 26. Both states are in lockdown.
Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan said the city was effectively in economic lockdown with Victoria, NSW and South Australia in lockdown and borders back.
“We need support from the feds even though we’re not in lockdown here, we’re virtually in economic lockdown as no one else can get here.”
Hotels had 20 or 30 per cent occupancy, he said.
Some restrictions to ease on Friday are gatherings going from 30 to 100 and no limits on outdoor gatherings.
Hospitality venues are at one person per two square metres and visitors are allowed in hospitals and aged care facilities. Funeral and wedding attendance has increased from 100 to 200.
Stadiums with 20,000 capacity-plus must reduce to 75 per cent. Masks must be worn outside home, unless exemptions or circumstances apply, such as eating and drinking.
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