QLD MP launches massive billboard against Annastacia Palaszczuk over border wars

The claws are out in Queensland, with one MP taking the border debate into his own hands by sending a simple message to the Premier.

The claws are out in Queensland, with one MP taking the ongoing border debate into his own hands.

State Member for Burleigh Heads, Michael Hart, has taken the fight to reopen the borders to the sky – by installing a giant billboard pleading with Queensland Premier to reopen to borders, or cost the state more jobs.

The billboard, which has been installed at the Reedy Creek and Bermuda Street intersection says “planes equals jobs” and asks the government to “open Queensland’s border”.

It’s the second billboard in as many weeks to be launched against the Premier, who is standing firm on the border closure despite reporting zero cases in the past 24 hours, and the state having just three active.

RELATED: QLD, NSW border closure: Billboards demand borders reopen to save jobs

The billboard sits at the Reedy Creek and Bermuda Street intersection.

RELATED: Annastacia Palaszczuk blasted over border closure

Appearing on Channel 9’s Today show, Mr Hart said it was time to start considering jobs, especially within the tourism industry, which on the Gold Coast alone is bleeding around 310 million each month.

“I’m hoping the billboard will send a strong message to the Premier that the people of the Gold Coast want to see planes flying back into our airport and a time frame for our borders to be open,” Mr Hart told host Karl Stefanovic, who labelled the closure as “beyond ridiculous”.

“The Premier told us in another road map it would be 10 July (to reopen the border). Then she has come out just willy-nilly and said maybe some time in September, maybe later.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has not given a date on when the borders will reopen. Picture: Matt Taylor.

Mr Hart said the Gold Coast will not survive without tourism, and that jobs in cafes to taxi drivers, theme parks and hotels were sitting empty because of the continued closure.

“It is just devastating for the people of Queensland,” he said.

“The Premier has just been so inconsistent with this argument … When Jobseeker and JobKeeper finish in a few months, we are going to see devastation on the Gold Coast. The building industry is going to fall off a cliff in a few months if we are not really careful.”

Mr Hart’s calls come just a week after Southern Gold Coast Lawyers launched similar signage to urge the Premier to reopen the border or face devastation across the state.

“There’s no medical reason for the borders to be closed,” Southern Gold Coast Lawyers principal Paul Carter told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“If you open them (borders), people will come up here and spend money. There will be employment.”

Michael Hart MP unveils a new billboard campaign calling on Labor to end the border shambles and get more flights into the Gold Coast. Picture Glenn Hampson

Mr Hart said the Premier’s reliance on intrastate travel would do nothing for the tourism sector, which relies on the southern states over the winter period.

“Intrastate travel is not going to help the people on the Gold Coast,” he said.

“We rely on 80 per cent of our tourists coming from NSW and Victoria. We need those aeroplanes flying again, we need our borders open and we need a time frame for that to happen.”

It is understood the state government will be reviewing the border closure at the end of June, a decision the Premier says is based on health advice.