Darling Downs family trapped in NSW after bureaucratic bungle stops them at the border

A bureaucratic bungle has seen a Darling Downs family stranded south of the border for more than a month, and has left them feeling like ‘refugees’ in their own country.

An exciting journey to start a new life on the Darling Downs has turned into a nightmare for a family who have called themselves “border refugees” after they became trapped in New South Wales behind closed borders.

Lisa Minz said she and her family feel like refugees in their own country after she flew to South Australia in early September to help her daughter, son-in-law and four children make the move from the mining town of Roxby Downs back home to the Darling Downs.

After spending two years as a subcontractor with BHP, Peter and Emily Daniells were ready to return to the Sunshine State, with the family arranging a home at Meringandan and Mr Daniells a new job in the mining industry.

The family are now caught in limbo after a bureaucratic bungle saw them turned away at the NSW-Queensland border and stuck in Moree for several weeks.

Mrs Minz’s husband John said his wife travelled to SA to help their daughter’s family move back to the Darling Downs more than a month ago after contacting Queensland Health on three separate occasions to clear their travel plans.

TRAPPED: Peter, Addie, Phoenix, Elijah, Emily and Theo Daniells are in limbo trapped in Moree, NSW, after their attempt to move from South Australia to the Darling Downs was blocked by police at the Queensland border.

“The confirmed advice they got was that they could travel north and get across the border near Cunnamulla as long as they didn’t stop overnight or stay in western NSW, but that’s not how the rules were interpreted by police at the border,” Mr Minz said.

“This inconsistency and lack of clarity surrounding the rules has meant my family has been trapped in Moree.

“There’s a term for people caught up in this situation, they call themselves ‘border refugees’ and that’s how they feel, they feel like refugees in their own country.”

With the family forced to pay for accommodation in Moree, as well as the home they intended to stay in Meringandan, Mr Minz said the situation was taking a heavy emotional, mental and financial toll.

“It’s so upsetting because every time I get on the phone with them the whole unit is reverberating with screaming and crying kids,” he said.

“To have four kids aged between six years and 13 months locked up for as long as they have been, then to do another two weeks quarantine when they get into Queensland whenever that is, it’s taking a heavy toll on my wife and daughter and son-in-law.

“Because of the circumstances they have no access to welfare, superannuation or Covid relief, and things like Peter’s job opportunity here is disappearing the longer this drags on.

“The fact that there’s no clarity or end date to the border lockdown means that anxiety and stress we’re all going through is building, day by day.”

Lisa Minz with grandchildren Elijah and Addie Daniells, currently stuck in Moree after being refused entry into Queensland.

A flicker of hope for the family has come with Queensland Police Service recommending to Queensland Health the group receive an exemption to cross the border, which is currently being processed.

Mr Minz called on Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to show compassion to the thousands of Queenslanders that can’t come home.

“We don’t want an outbreak of the delta strain here but if we can let footballers in the least we can do is let our fellow Queenslanders in,” he said.

“This policy is pulling families apart and I can see the emotional impact this is having as a result of the lack of compassion shown by this government.”

Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki has leant his voice in support of the Minz and Daniells families and called on the government to allow returning Queenslanders home.

“It is un-Australian and it is unacceptable for so many of our people not to have any answers as to when they can cross the border. Where is the compassion?”

Queensland Health and Queensland Police Service have both been contacted for a response.