Brisbane woman stuck in NSW launches Qld border petition

Grieving her father, missing work and forced to pay rent in two cities, a Brisbane woman locked out of the state has launched a petition against Queensland’s ‘heartless’ border policies.

A Brisbane woman stuck in NSW after spending the last days with her dying father has launched a petition to pressure the ‘heartless’ Palaszczuk Government into letting thousands of stranded Queenslanders like her return home.

Tina Gaudry, 27, launched the petition after revelations of a massive shortfall in hotel quarantine rooms, with more than 8300 applications still being processed for just 245 available rooms.

Police admit they are struggling to process border pass applications from Queenslanders desperate to return home and lockdown-weary southerners seeking to flee to the Sunshine State.

Tina Gaudry travelled to Newcastle to be with her dying father John.

Ms Gaudry, an events planner from Coorparoo, travelled to Newcastle last month to see her cancer-stricken father John, 71, before he passed away in a hospice.

She said she applied for a return border pass on September 9 but has heard nothing.

“It just sickens me to know that there are thousands of people stranded like me,” she said.

“I’m alone down here and grieving the loss of my dad and it seems crazy to me that the government won’t let people like me quarantine at home or at least allocate more hotel rooms.

“It’s heartless and inconsiderate, especially when they’re letting in rugby (league) wives and girlfriends and celebrities.”

Ms Gaudry said she was paying two lots of rent - in Brisbane and in Newcastle - and had lost work as a result of being unable to return to Queensland.

“I don’t regret coming for a second because Dad was told he had two months left to live and it turned out to be two weeks,” she said.

“But being unable to return home just adds to the heartache.”

In her change.org petition, Ms Gaudry says more than 11,000 Queenslanders are stranded in NSW or Victoria awaiting border passes or exemptions.

“This failed system has torn families apart and left thousands of residents in limbo, with no advice on how long they will have to wait to return home,” she wrote.

A cherished family photo of Tina Gaudry and her dad.

She cited other cases, including a Bundaberg woman who became stuck in NSW after a family holiday in June and was now living in a tent with her three kids.

“Victoria has its borders to NSW closed, but is allowing fully vaccinated returning residents to self-isolate at home, instead of in hotel quarantine,” Ms Gaudry wrote.

“Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that Australia is set to restart international travel in just one month. Meanwhile, Queenslanders can’t even get home.

“The Queensland Premier needs to take action and make changes to the failed hotel quarantine system, following in Victoria’s footsteps, and allowing fully vaccinated returning Queensland residents to quarantine at home.

“The Premier also needs to increase the number of hotel quarantine rooms available in the state, to allow the growing number of Queenslanders stranded interstate to come home.

“The rest of Australia and the world is moving ahead, and Queensland needs to catch up.”

The petition has so far attracted almost 500 signatures.

Originally published as Brisbane woman stuck in NSW launches Qld border petition