Border move is ‘a no-go’
ANDREW POTTS, JEREMY PIERCE AND JESSICA MARSZALEK
ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk is no fan of mayor Tom Tate’s push to move the Queensland border 7km south to make life easier for locals.
Cr Tate has proposed absorbing Tweed Heads into Queensland by moving the border to the Tweed River.
On Wednesday, he called for a referendum at the next state election as big traffic jams again formed amid confusion at border checkpoints.
The Premier said while police were trying to make things as smooth as possible for residents at border crossings, she didn’t think the mayor’s plan would be accepted in the Tweed.
“I understand the frustration (for locals). These are border communities. It’s not unique to Queensland and NSW. I’m quite sure there’s issues between the NSW and Victoria border at the moment.
“Unfortunately, though, I don’t think the Tweed Shire Council would like to be absorbed as part of the Gold Coast Council. As much as we’d like to have those residents part of Queensland, they are part of NSW.
“But we’ll try to make things as smooth as possible.”
Cr Tate earlier said he would write to the premiers of NSW and Queensland imploring them to consider the proposal and he wanted to “let the people decide” at October’s Queensland election.
“I know it’s not an easy ask but it’s the logical ask as we move forward. We’ve got an election in Queensland in October, it would be a great time to have a referendum and see what they think.”
He said he hoped Scott Morrison would raise the issue at the next national cabinet meeting.
Business and community leaders on the Gold Coast widely backed the move. It is also overwhelmingly backed in a poll of readers of this site, with 75 per cent of 1300 people who voted on Wednesday in favour.
Tweed deputy mayor Chris Cherry dismissed Cr Tate’s plan, saying Northern Rivers residents had no desire to become part of the Gold Coast.
“We are in the middle of a public health crisis and tackling this should be the primary focus for all of us, as I’m sure it is for both premiers,” he said.
“The Gold Coast is a great neighbour and a fantastic place to visit (but) one of our community’s highest priorities is to remain distinctly different, with a focus on protecting our beautiful natural environment and maintaining our lifestyle here in the Tweed.
“Therefore I, and my sense is the great majority of our residents, would disagree.”
Cr Tate said he would ask Ms Palaszczuk to pursue the matter further. “It makes natural sense. Mother nature has the Tweed River there and all I am saying is have the border line there,” he said.
“To Tweed council, I say talk to your residents, they would love to be part of the Gold Coast. I will be taking this further … I’ll be sending council’s endorsement to the Premier and she can talk Gladys (Berejiklian) around.”