Premiers Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian end bitter border battle

Australians are expected to rush into Queensland after Annastacia Palaszczuk agreed to open the border.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says Queensland will shift from statewide border closures to focus on geographically refined hotspots. Picture: Peter Wallis

Australians are expected to rush into Queensland over the next few weeks as hold-out Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk finally agreed to open the border to more than five million ­Sydneysiders on December 1 — and allow Victorians in soon after, a month after the last untraceable case of COVID-19 was detected in the two big southern cities.

Ending four months of a churlish war of words between Ms Palaszczuk and her NSW counterpart Gladys ­Berejiklian, Queensland finally relented to calls for compassion from isolated families and struggling tourism operators to allow unrestricted travel in the sunshine state.

The Sydney decision will also pave the way for lifting the ban on Victorians on Wednesday, 28 days since that state’s last untraceable case of community transmission.

The move leaves only residents in parts of South Australia barred from entering Queensland, which has had border restrictions of various forms in place since March.

The decision will leave Western Australia as the only state with major border restrictions freeing up most domestic travel by Christmas. Scott Morrison said the news would “bring joy to thousands of families and friends who now have the opportunity to see each other this Christmas”.

“It’s also a relief for so many small businesses across both states, with more tourists and ­visitors set to visit soon, which is good for jobs and the economy,” the Prime Minister said.

Ms Palaszczuk notified Ms Berejiklian, who had as recently as Monday ridiculed Queensland’s decision-making, after getting the nod from chief health officer Jeannette Young.

The Premier said Queensland would shift from statewide border closures to focus on geographically refined hotspots. She added it would take “massive outbreaks” of COVID-19 to consider shutting out an entire state again. “We will always take the advice of Dr Young but I think what you are seeing now is that we have moved to a hotspot regime,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“If there was a massive outbreak across a particular state, I think you would see everybody react that way [border closures].

“We have been concerned about what happened in South Australia but we have to make sure that we are always vigilant, we are always watching.”

The 20 South Australian local government areas currently declared hotspots will be reviewed at the end of the month.

Excited about seeing their mother and grandmother in Sydney, Rachel Bronish and her son Tommy 5, at a local park near their home in Banyo, Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The Premier, who has withstood extensive criticism for her border stance but was re-elected at the October 31 poll, said Queensland would be open for business in time for Christmas.

“We know how tough this has been on families,” she said. “This is a great day. It’s exciting news. In further good news, tomorrow is the day that Victoria will meet that threshold as well.”

Ms Berejiklian, who has been critical of her counterpart’s decisions, said borders should remain open even in the face of outbreaks.

“I don’t want to give the message to the community that the borders will keep opening and shutting at a whim because that doesn’t give anybody any certainty,” Ms Berejiklian said on Tuesday before Ms Palaszczuk’s announcement.

Business leaders, particularly in the tourism sector, welcomed the decision and called on the Premier to be quick and clear in making a decision regarding South Australia. Flight Centre founding director Graham “Skroo” Turner urged the Premier against shutting out entire states in future.

Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: Damian Shaw

The Queensland border was closed to most of the country from March until July when it reopened to all states except Victoria. It was shut to NSW and the ACT from August 8 after a spike in coronavirus cases in Sydney. Queenslanders were allowed to return to their home state but were required to stay in hotel quarantine for 14 days, while entry was prohibited for anyone without a valid exemption.

For Brisbane’s Rachel Bronish Tuesday’s announcement meant she could make plans to travel to Sydney, for a long-awaited reunion with her parents.

“It’s been a year since we’ve seen each other, and my son has changed so much in that time, it feels like they’ve missed out on so much,” Ms Bronish said.

“Facetime is just no replacement for seeing each other in the flesh. It’s going to be a very emotional reunion for all of us.”

Former Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington initially seized on Ms Palaszczuk’s stance on borders, campaigning for them to be reopened. Ms Palaszczuk used Ms Frecklington’s words against her to damaging effect during the October election campaign, giving voters a perception that the Opposition Leader would open the borders despite health advice.

A large part of Ms Palaszczuk’s election victory was put down to her handling of the pandemic.

Despite pressure from Mr Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Ms Berejiklian and the business community, Ms Palaszczuk refused to budge, keeping borders closed on “health advice”.

The day before the October 31 election, Ms Palaszczuk, reneged on a plan to open the border to all NSW residents and instead kept it closed to those from or travelling through greater Sydney, which was declared a hotspot.