Coronavirus Qld: Calls to move border south 7km to ease COVID-19 traffic

As residents heading over the Queensland border are faced with lengthy delays, there are new calls to move the border 7km south into NSW.

As residents face further delays getting into the Sunshine State after Queensland police announced they would be checking every car with NSW plates, there are calls for the state’s border to be moved further south.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has renewed calls to move the border 7km south to the Tweed River to stop a repeat of the financial stress border-side businesses have endured during the coronavirus crisis.

Mr Tate said the changes to border passes in recent weeks – especially now that 77 NSW suburbs would be considered hotspots, resulting in further inspections to be taken at the border – would only increase massive traffic jams and frustration among visitors.

“If (the State Government) want to move the NSW border to the Tweed River we could do that too,” he said last week.

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Mayor Tom Tate is calling for the Queensland border to be moved 7km south to follow the Tweed River. Picture Glenn Hampson

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate is taking the suggestion to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Annette Dew

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“It makes logical sense. Seriously, the city’s northern border goes all the way to the Logan River, why not have the southern one go to the Tweed River.

“But because it makes sense, the state politicians will not do it.”

According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, Mr Tate will be pushing the idea with Ms Palaszczuk, saying the move to the Tweed River “makes natural sense”.

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Locals are frustrated by the congestion caused at the border as vehicles are checked before entering Queensland. Picture: Jessica Lamb.

“Mother nature has the Tweed River there and all I am saying is have the border line there,” he said.

“To Tweed council I say talk to your residents, they would love to part of the Gold Coast.

“I will be taking this further … I’ll be sending council’s endorsement to the Premier and she can talk Gladys (Berejiklian) around.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has suggested the Tweed River should be the border. Picture: Graham Callaghan.

Visitors into Queensland faced further delays on Wednesday morning, with any non-Queenslanders found to have visited the new hotspots in NSW now denied entry. The suburbs all fall within the local government area of Liverpool or Campbelltown.

Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young deemed the council regions as new hotspots, following a growing cluster of coronavirus cases erupting from the Crossroads Hotel in Casula.

The outbreak grew to at least 30 cases on Tuesday, and testing by NSW Health revealed a Blue Mountains resident who dined at the venue on July 3 is linked to the Victorian outbreak – five days before the border between the two states closed.

More cases are emerging as a Sydney pizza restaurant customer and a Woolworths staff member in Bowral have tested positive.