Families ready to make run for the border as Queensland reopens
Monday’s border reopening will open the floodgates, with up to 50,000 vehicles expected to enter Queensland after a five-month lockout for people in NSW and Victoria.
After 15 weeks in Queensland border limbo at the Moree Showgrounds in northern NSW, Pat and Brian Riddle are finally able to head home to Mackay.
Monday’s border reopening will open the floodgates, with up to 50,000 vehicles expected to enter the state in the first 24 hours. Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick was talking up the milestone on Sunday, which will end a five-month lockout of people in NSW and Victoria. “It’ll be great for holidays, which will be great for our tourism industry,” he said. “It’ll be great for business across the state and it will also mean more Queenslanders can reunite for Christmas and that will be a wonderful thing.”
Sentiments were less joyous at the Moree Showgrounds, where dozens of people have spent weeks or even months waiting to be allowed back into Queensland.
Caretaker Darren Byrnes said the campers came from all walks of life, but were united in their frustration with the Queensland government.
“They’re just fed up with rule changes and uncertainty,” he said. “Even now no one can quite believe the borders are reopening until they actually get across.”
Despite enjoying the camaraderie of the park and the “exceptional management” over her 15-week stay, Ms Riddle said it was not an ideal situation.
“I couldn’t describe the anger and resentment that has been focused on the Queensland hierarchy,” she said. “We’ve seen such traumatic cases. One lady’s husband was in a wheelchair and she had to try to bath him in the motorhome. They eventually got a concession to return but they had to drive 500km to the Pacific Highway rather than simply going through Goondiwindi. It’s been really cruel.”
The frustration was shared by Tamra Walker, Brendan Collins and their children Mia and Dion, who were caught out by the border closure during a two-stage move from South Australia to the Gold Coast.
Ms Walker said after 11 weeks at the showgrounds they were “hot and mosquito-bitten” and not feeling much affection for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
“I think she could’ve opened up much earlier,” Ms Walker said. “Covid is something we have to learn to live, with although not everyone feels that way.”
Monday may not spell the end of the frustration, with those hoping to cross the border by road facing long delays and more red tape.
Border passes required for access went “live” online just hours before the reopening, amid concerns computer systems would not be able to cope with the demand.
Queensland police commissioner Katarina Carroll said IT staff would be on standby but she warned that at first the process would be “clunky”.
“It’s new, it’s different so please be very, very patient,” she said.
In many cases, police guarding border checkpoints would be undertaking “100 per cent compliance checks or random intercepts”, she said.
“So please don’t think you will come to the border and you will easily get through,” Ms Carroll said.
Entry would be granted on the basis the person was fully vaccinated, had evidence of a negative Covid test in the previous 72 hours and had the relevant border pass.
Five days after entry, they would need to undergo another Covid test.
As Queensland opened up, Western Australia tightened its border to anyone coming from the Sunshine State in response to a number of local cases.
From midnight on Monday those travelling to WA from Queensland would need to be fully vaccinated, quarantine for 14 days at a suitable premises, and undergo Covid tests on arrival and day 12.
Mr Dick refused to criticise the move by Labor Premier Mark McGowan, saying Western Australia had done its best to handle the virus. “Our two states have had the strongest performing economies in the country so I’ll let WA make their own decisions,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot on our plate at the moment as borders reopen and we’ll continue to focus on what we need to do for Queensland.”
He conceded there was likely to be an increase in cases in response to the border opening, saying “Covid is coming to Queensland”.
“We’ve already seen that this week with cases being identified on the Gold Coast and the Gold Coast will be on the frontline of what happens with Covid as the virus arrives in Queensland,” Mr Dick said.
The Gold Coast was among several sites across the country where thousands turned out to protest vaccine mandates and government responses to Covid on Sunday as part of a “national day of action”.
In Sydney and Melbourne, protesters targeted the CBDs and called for the sacking of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and a ban on vaccinating children.
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