Bordering on cruelty as the great wall of Coolangatta keeps families apart

The frustration overflowed in Coolangatta as the Covid barrier between virus-light Queensland and locked-down NSW became a scene of tears.

Sean Harapeet receives a Father’s Day kiss from wife Haylee at the Coolangatta border barrier on Sunday. Picture: Richard Gosling

How has it come to this? A ­Father’s Day when families are separated by a line on the map, when mum on one side of a closed state border passes the baby to dad for a fleeting hug because he can’t come home.

The frustration overflowed in Coolangatta as the Covid barrier between virus-light Queensland and locked-down NSW became a scene of tears and longing on what was supposed to be a day of loving get-togethers.

If the border remains closed this could be a foretaste of Christmas in a country held hostage to shuttered borders and bickering premiers with very different ideas of how to live with the virus as more and more Australians are vaccinated. But the Harapeet family was not to be denied. Children Hudson, 8, and Lockii, 9, leaned over the NSW side of the barricade to be embraced by their Dad, Sean.

Families celebrate doing Father’s Day at Coolangatta on Sunday. Picture: Richard Gosling

Mr Harapeet works as a fly-in, fly-out mine worker in distant Mount Isa and made the heartbreaking decision to spend his time off in Brisbane when the border shut, leaving wife Haylee to struggle on with the kids at Cabarita on NSW’s north coast.

“I want him to come home,” Hudson said after the all-too-brief reunion.

Bradley Church’s emotional catch-up with partner Jodie Hollis and their 10-month-old daughter Isabella was equally bittersweet. The young Queenslander works at a racehorse stable in Murwillumbah, NSW, and hasn’t been home since mid-August.

“I haven’t cried in a very good time and I welled up when I saw Isabella today,” Mr Church said.

“She almost didn’t recognise me when we first got there, I’ve only seen her through the phone on FaceTime. It’s been three weeks and she’s already got another tooth since I’ve seen her.”

A couple reunites at Coolangatta on Sunday. Picture: Richard Gosling

No two leaders are more at odds over the virus than Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian in NSW.

And nowhere is the impact on ordinary lives more compelling than on the Gold Coast, where the closed border is patrolled by police, keeping wives from husbands, children from dad, people from work, kids from attending school.

The anger in the community has already sparked violent demonstrations. Police sympathised this time, handing out masks instead of fines when fed-up families bent the health rules for Father’s Day.

There was a deep, abiding sadness as people did what they could to reach out to loved ones. Rather than remain separated, Ms Hollis is looking to relocate to NSW with baby Isabella. What else can they do when nobody knows has long the border impasse will last.

Bradley Church with partner Jodie Hollis and their 10-month-old daughter. Isabella. ‘I welled up when I saw Isabella,’ he said. Picture: Richard Gosling

As the vaccination rate hit 40 per cent in NSW for doubled-dosed coverage of over-16s – half way to the target to end city and statewide lockdowns – Scott Morrison declared on Sunday: “Nobody wants Covid to be the virus that stole Christmas.”

The Prime Minister insisted the plan to open up the country once full vaccination hit 70 per cent and progressed to the breakthrough 80 per cent mark remained on track.

Ms Berejiklian has said the she wants to give the nation the Christmas gift of reuniting families while Ms Palaszczuk and WA Premier Mark McGowan have reserved the right to keep their borders shut unless the runaway case numbers in NSW and Victoria come down.

Asked whether NSW would go it alone if those states lagged, Ms Berejiklian said on Sunday: “It has always been the case that when you hit 70 per cent double dose you can give freedoms to your community that otherwise weren’t there. But what NSW looks like at 70 per cent double dose might be different to what WA looks like.”

Lyndsey Fairhurst, left, Brooklyn, Bowie, grandfather Keith Fairhurst and wife Dianne at Coolangatta. Picture: Richard Gosling

Ms Palaszczuk’s Father’s Day message was that Queenslanders should be thankful to be living relatively Covid-free.

“Essentially, Queensland is open. NSW has stay-at-home orders, Victoria has stay-at-home orders,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “Tonight people will go to their cafes, pubs and local restaurants, 100 people will be able to gather in homes whether that is for a 21st birthday party, people will be able to come together for Father’s Day on Sunday.

“This is the sort of Queensland I want.”

Risk-averse Mr McGowan was on the same track, warning WA was likely to stay sealed off until next year – well after the 80 per cent benchmark was achieved nationally and in the West. Tasmania went a step further, with free travel unlikely to be reinstated until 90 per cent double vaccine coverage was reached, according to Acting Premier Jeremy Rockliff.

A “nuanced” border policy is still being eyed by South Australian Premier Steven Marshall.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews agreed with Ms Berejiklian that Covid-zero was no longer achievable with the onslaught of the highly infectious Delta strain in Melbourne and across NSW. Ramped up vaccination was only way out of lockdowns, he said.