Covid: Qld-NSW border could be closed until Christmas as businesses struggle with latest closures

Businesses in border communities are being forced to prepare for restrictions that could last until Christmas as they struggle to cope with the latest border closures.

Communities along the Queensland-NSW border are bracing for extended lockdowns and restrictions, as the Queensland Government enforces a two-week blanket ban on new arrivals.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Wednesday the temporary ban on new arrivals from NSW, the ACT and Victoria was a chance to buy time for the state to clear the backlog of interstate and overseas arrivals in hotel quarantine.

The blanket ban comes as Australian Defence Force troopers were deployed to the Darling Downs to help police enforce Covid compliance at our Queensland-NSW border checkpoints.

Caught in the middle of the confusion, Goondiwindi businesses are now preparing for an uncertain future.

Queensland border closure signs in Warwick west, heading out towards Inglewood and Goondiwindi.

O’Shea’s Royal Hotel owner Mick O’Shea said they went from having 85 per cent occupancy to 25 per cent occupancy almost overnight when border restrictions were brought back about two weeks ago.

“Goondiwindi is really reliant on Boggabilla south of the border as well as passing traffic and without that Goondiwindi just shuts down,” he said.

“At least we’re not shut down like they are in NSW, we can open our doors at least, but it’s quiet

“We’re a border town about three hours from Brisbane so we’re a good stop off area for people travelling but without that traffic it’s just not sustainable.”

Mr O’Shea said the community had rallied and taken up the Covid-19 vaccinations on offer, but restrictions hadn’t been explained well.

“People are definitely edgy but a majority of people have supported the jab, there were massive roll-ups to get the jab when the vaccination hubs were in town,” he said.

Discussing the border are (from left) Queensland Police Superintendent Mark Kelly (left) Goondiwindi Mayor Lawrence Springborg and Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon at Goondiwindi's old Macintyre Bridge.

OK Milk Bar is a cafe near the old bridge across the Macintyre River, and owner-manager Janelle Faulkner said they too were struggling without cross-border traffic.

“We used to get all the workers who would come across stop in and with that bridge closed off that doesn’t help us at all,” she said.

“We are really reliant on that border traffic and well as local traffic. Last week was really quiet and this week has been quieter still, our sales have dropped by 40 per cent which is huge.

“The whole community is feeling the impact of these restrictions, you walk down the main street and it’s very quiet everywhere.

“Most people are pleased we’re safe, personally I think it’s great, but business-wise it’s really not good at all.”

Goondiwindi Region Mayor Lawrence Springborg said he encouraged local businesses to plan and prepare for worst-case COVID-19 scenarios.

“People need to start thinking about what will happen if the whole local government area gets locked down. The time to have a plan in place was yesterday,” he said.

“What we’re seeing in NSW is an outbreak with cases creeping closer and closer to our region’s border. The testing results and case locations are up to five days old and there are very low rates of testing in some locations, so the reality is that we’re at greater risk than we’ve been before.

“We need to seriously consider the possibility of extended or stricter border closures, local workers being identified as close contacts or a positive case, or even a local lockdown like we’ve seen in Indooroopilly.”