As health restrictions and the Sydney lockdown continue in NSW, residents in the border region are bracing themselves for the possibility that the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk may close the border.
Tweed Shire Councillor James Owen says he is imploring the NSW and QLD governments to work together to establish a border region – with passes that last at least 14 days – prior to any decision on a closure.
‘In the past, the border has been slammed shut with little to no notice, and we have been left scrambling for a way forward.
‘This is not about politics, Liberal or Labor, blue or red, this is about people’s lives, their livelihoods and their mental health. Our elected representatives need to stop the politicking, mud-slinging and scaremongering, and start proactively advocating for our border community. Aren’t we all in this together?’
The Queensland Premier said yesterday that at this stage she has no plan to close the border, but as COVID cases continue to rise in Sydney and surrounds, there are no guarantees.
Cr Owen says border communities, by nature, are intrinsically linked. ‘Ours is no different. Many people in the Tweed Shire cross the border daily, some multiple times, for a variety of reasons – work, school, medical appointments, sport.
‘Life in our border community has never been harder, or more uncertain. We need the NSW and QLD governments to work together to establish a NSW/QLD border region before any hard border closure between the two states, and we need those that we have elected to office to start proactively advocating for us to make our lives easier, and to give us the certainty that we deserve.’
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Qld just waiting for the state of origin to finish, then the border will close…….wtf
I hope so too but the way the NSW govt is dealing with this outbreak would not inspire the confidence of the Qld government.
This is an unbelievable situation – basically anyone can travel from the hottest of Sydney areas to the regions to do “essential” work.
Kerry Chant pleads for people to give this the strictest possible interpretation while Brad Hazzard (looking decidedly bored) says it’s all too hard to define but an employer and employee will together know what’s essential. As if! And it’s not like there’s much at stake here, Brad.
From today’s presser it seems a Sydney painter took the virus to Goulburn. Who knows what the next seeding “essential” work will be – tattooing? Relying on common sense doesn’t work!!! Especially it seems from this government!
Please could all our construction companies and other employers apply some integrity and use locals to avoid any seeding here.
We in the regions are sitting ducks and Qld has every cause to shut the border!
PS
I’m quite sure that I will attract all sorts of comments about how there is no Covid 19 and how I’m just the willing dupe of an international conspiracy to enslave us all.
Fine – let me make it quite clear that my comments are based on the assumption that there are some elements of truth in the reporting coming from Sydney.