Qld NSW border: Gold Coast Bulletin readers demand end to border blockade
Bulletin readers have overwhelmingly voted in favour of tearing down the Qld-NSW border wall. SEE POLL RESULTS >>>
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Eighty-five per cent of 278 voters responding to a Bulletin poll wanted the Queensland-NSW border wall to come down.
It comes as Queensland’s premier remains tight-lipped over the relaxation of border restrictions despite NSW flagging a potential end to the regional lockdown impacting the Tweed.
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s office did not respond to Bulletin questions on Wednesday asking when border residents could expect a decision on removing the hard border.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said on Wednesday that “no decision has been made” and the end of stay-at-home orders in the north of the state would be “up to the health advice”.
“There is risk, but we balance that risk,” he said.
He said the NSW government would “let the community know shortly”. But even if the lockdown did end it would not result in the return of “pre-lockdown” conditions.
Mr Barilaro also warned even a single new locally acquired case could thrust the Tweed and other regional areas back into lockdown.
He spoke about new cases statewide – and none were in the Northern Rivers region.
Mr Barilaro previously said he was confident the Northern Rivers, including the Tweed, would have the tough stay-at-home orders lifted this weekend.
These comments from the deputy leader prompted a call from Currumbin MP Laura Gerber for the return of a border bubble.
“The Palaszczuk Labor government must be ready with the details of a safe border bubble this week,” Mrs Gerber said.
“It is not too much to ask for the state government to be prepared to have the border bubble up and running the same day the Tweed or Northern Rivers comes out of lockdown.”
Griffith University infectious diseases expert Professor Nigel McMillan said despite scenes of families hugging over the border barricades on Father’s Day, it posed less risk than a border bubble.
“If you open a border bubble, you will increase the chances of the virus coming in,” Prof McMillan said.
“For absolute safety, a border closure is the safest measure … (but) clearly the border closures have a human cost.”
He said the debate over a border bubble versus border closure would “resolve itself over time” and be irrelevant by December if vaccination targets were reached by then.
‘Give us our border bubble back’: Hopes restrictions will ease - September 8
SUGGESTIONS border restrictions may be reconsidered this week have prompted a call for the return of a border bubble.
Currumbin MP Laura Gerber welcomed the glimmer of hope for border residents in Coolangatta and Tweed, urging the state government to reintroduce the border bubble “without delay”.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government must be ready with the details of a safe border bubble this week,” Mrs Gerber said this morning.
“Our Coolangatta border community, including families and small businesses, have been through enough.
“It is not too much to ask for the State Government to be prepared to have the border bubble up and running the same day the Tweed or Northern Rivers comes out of lockdown.
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“I reiterate my calls to the Queensland state government to give our border community their safe border bubble back, and to provide targeted financial support for Queensland border businesses.
“I urge the Palaszczuk Labor government to act immediately, and provide our Coolangatta border businesses, families and residents with hope.”
It comes after a Bulletin poll revealed 85 per cent of 200 voters wanted the Qld-NSW border wall to come down.
‘Ridiculous’: Call for border teardown after emotional scenes
September 7: Emotional scenes of families embracing over a barricade on Father’s Day have highlighted the “ridiculousness” of the hard border closure.
That’s according to Tweed Shire councillor James Owen, who has demanded the reintroduction of a Queensland-NSW border bubble and a lifting of the lockdown in his community.
Hundreds of families separated by hard border closures gathered at the Coolangatta border for picnics across blockades to celebrate Father’s Day.
“It was heartwarming to see people reconnecting across the border – the border closure has been terrible,” Cr Owen said.
“It does highlight the ridiculousness of the Queensland hard border for our community. Queensland Police were present at the border and allowing people to reconnect for Father’s Day.
“When things like this happen, you can’t help but wonder if it’s based on the health advice or if it’s politically driven.”
Cr Owen has written to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urging her to lift the Tweed Shire lockdown on Friday.
Mudgeeraba resident Danni Crowe handed out balloons and lollies to families at the border barricade on Sunday.
She said watching families being separated and businesses passing supplies over the border was heartbreaking.
“Going back to the border bubble would be the best solution,” Ms Crowe said.
“We are such a tight-knit border community – Tens of thousands of people are affected by that long orange wall.
“I think if we went back to what we had last year with that border bubble, we could fix this issue overnight.”
Ms Crowe will be handing out balloons at the border every Saturday from noon to 2pm
‘Almost didn’t recognise me’: Families’ teary reunion at border – September 5
HUNDREDS of families separated by hard border closures gathered at the Coolangatta border for picnics across blockades to celebrate this Father’s Day.
For Merrimac resident Bradley Church, his one wish was to see his 10-month-old daughter Isabella on his first Father’s Day.
He had spent three weeks away from his baby daughter and partner Jodie Hollis to work at a horse racing stable in Murwillumbah to pay the bills.
“I haven’t cried in a very good time and I welled up when I saw Isabella today,” he said. “It’s been three weeks and she’s already got another tooth since I’ve seen her.”
He said the family was looking to relocate to NSW because it was getting too hard being apart for so long.
“She almost didn’t recognise me when we first got there, I’ve only seen her through the phone on Face-Time,” he said.
Queensland Police Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said a crowd of about 200 people gathered at barricades on Bay and Dixon streets for Father’s Day celebrations, with police handing out just one fine.
Superintendent Wildman said one woman was slapped with a $4135 fine after several attempts to cross the border from NSW into Queensland at the Griffith St checkpoint.
“For us, the primary focus for our police was absolutely trying to enforce the chief health officer’s directions and that was very much around social distancing and mask wearing,” he said.
“Our officers actually actively engaged with every member that was involved in those activities today and handed out masks, we handed out several hundred masks.
“Father’s Day, it’s an emotional time and obviously for us we do use that compliance approach as a last resort.
“For us it was very much around getting the public health messaging across.”Cabarita resident Sean Harapeet has been separated from his young family while he stayed in Brisbane with a friend on his days off from working in the mines at Mount Isa.
His young children, Hudson, 8, and Lockii, 9, shared tears with their father on Sunday as they saw him for the first time in a month.
“I want him to come home,” Hudson said.
Miami local Lyndsey Fairhurst brought her daughters Brooklyn, 5, and Bowie, 3, to visit their grandparents Keith and Dianne Fairhurst for Father’s day. “We haven’t seen them for a couple of months,” Ms Fairhurst said.
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