Frecklington warns Premiers uncertainty over borders will hurt tourism

Oppositions leader Deb Frecklington has slammed the ongoing border closure, saying it’s closing businesses and costing jobs.

LNP leader Deb Frecklington says uncertainty about when Queensland’s border will reopen is costing jobs and hurting businesses.

Talking to the media outside Coolangatta business Noodle Box – only a few hundred metres away from the state line – Ms Frecklington said businesses are screaming out for clarity about when the border will reopen.

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington at a media conference on the Gold Coast talking about the border closure. Picture: Glenn Hampson

$20M A DAY LOSS AS BORDERS REMAIN CLOSED

“The Premier’s border shambles is closing businesses and costing jobs,” Ms Frecklington said.

“It just doesn’t make sense if you live in the Tweed you can travel to Melbourne, but you can’t walk across the border to Coolangatta.

“What I’m calling on Annastacia Palaszczuk to do is to give businesses and Queenslanders some certainty and knock out closing the borders until September or even later and stick to her original road map that said July.

“Queensland is a beautiful winter destination, we all know that.

“That is exactly why the Premier needs to rule out keeping the border closed until September.

“We cannot afford to wait until September to keep these borders closed.”

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington at a media conference today on the Gold Coast with Currumbin MP Laura Gerber. Picture: Glenn Hampson

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Ms Frecklington said the Premier is using National Cabinet – which meets again in a fortnight – as an excuse to push back a decision on the border.

“The Premier is the Premier of this state and it’s about time she started making decisions on behalf of Queenslanders,” she said.

“Queensland businesses are missing out on the southern tourism door.

“Right now, it’s estimated we’re missing out on about $20 million a day.”

Ms Frecklington said Queenslanders should be allowed to travel up to 150km from their homes, even if that means into another state, as outlined in the LNP’s road map to recovery.

“We know that the cross-border communities ... work across borders on a daily basis.

“There is a high level of anxiety about applying for the border pass and the fact that they feel as though they are breaking the rules if they’re going across the border.”