WHY SHE WON’T BUDGE
But operator pleas fall on deaf ears
THE Queensland Premier faces mounting pressure to reel back coronavirus restrictions to give battling businesses a fighting chance once NSW and ACT are blocked at the border.
But it seems Annastacia Palaszczuk is not even willing to entertain the idea.
The Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce is leading the charge with president Martin Hall arguing opening Queensland for Queenslanders would be a lifeline for operators.
Ms Palaszczuk revealed on Wednesday she was going to shut the Qld-NSW border to the virus-stricken southern states from Saturday. She said the move would stop the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in Queensland which has had a flurry of recent cases of people caught lying after coming in from hotspots.
Mr Hall said the Chamber would lobby Ms Palaszczuk and the State Government to loosen restrictions around patron limits, dancing and mandatory seating.
“We need to know what the plan is to help businesses survive this phase. We need to see what the lines of engagement are, and we haven’t seen that yet,” he said. “Now the borders have been closed, deeming us protected to a certain extent, we need to look at restrictions in place for businesses.
“Businesses won’t jeopardise their own existence just for a quick buck. But if they have the capacity to generate more income in a COVID Safe way – while complying with the health restrictions – that’s what we need to give businesses the opportunity to do.”
Mr Hall first called for cutting restrictions immediately after the new border blocks were revealed, saying at the time: “In the face of this shock announcement, we need to start reviewing future easing of restrictions for Queenslanders in Queensland, so we can have a fighting chance while continuing to trade.”
Asked if she would urgently review venue clamps, Ms Palaszczuk would not directly respond and instead urged businesses to stick to existing COVID Safe plans.
“It only takes one or two cases for this virus to take hold. Everyone has a social responsibility to do the right thing. I urge everyone to do the right thing.”
Ms Palaszczuk said she would consider more business loans for struggling operators.
“We have concerns about NSW and my job is to protect Queensland families. These are tough, strong measures and they have to be taken,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk pleaded with Queenslanders to “get out and support one another”.
Asked if venue restrictions should be urgently reviewed, Mayor Tom Tate backed Ms Palaszczuk’s immovable stance: “I agree with the Premier. It makes sense right now to keep our guards up.”
Artesian Hospitality partner Matt Keegan, who has The Bedroom, Havana, Sin City and White Rhino night spots, said two of the venues had not reopened due to restrictions, particularly patron limits, which left the reopened venues at a quarter or less of capacity.
“Queensland has had the virus under control. We should be able to increase numbers and ease restrictions,” he said.
“It’s extremely difficult. A lot of the restrictions are announced last minute. It has major implications for venues.
“We’re sitting and waiting, our staff are sitting and waiting.”
Mr Keegan said closed nightclubs The Bedroom and Sin City would “definitely” open if restrictions eased.
He said there was “no question” city businesses “across the board” would benefit from eased restrictions.
Gold Coast Medical Association head Dr Philip Morris said: “(The Chamber) are asking for something that can’t be done, restrictions on the borders are to stop those at risk of carrying the virus from coming into Queensland. But just because you clamp down on one thing, it doesn’t mean the virus, which is already in the state, has gone away.
NOW BORDERS HAVE BEEN CLOSED, DEEMING US PROTECTED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT RESTRICTIONS
“Until things improve to where we don’t have a virus circulating and we don’t have any community spread I don’t see any changes happening. The precautions aren’t a seesaw, when one restriction goes down the other goes up.”
“All we can hope is the virus situation in NSW is resolved by the school holidays. I suspect Victoria won’t be ready by then. I do feel for them.”
MARTIN HALL
NEW Zealand did not muck around in the early days of the coronavirus emergency.
By mid-March, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had taken the unprecedented step of closing her nation’s borders and within a week or so of that, as NZ’s four-stage alert rose to level 4, a nationwide lockdown was in place. Essential services were operating, but everyone else was told to stay home.
Remarkably, the Kiwis showed huge understanding and backing for what their government was attempting – a strategy of locking down to eliminate. Polls showed more than 80 per cent support.
By June 8, with no new community transmission for 17 days, the brakes were released. Their border remains shut, but within New Zealand life goes on like before, without restrictions.
Queensland right now is in a similar state, with minimal active cases despite the selfish and, we suggest, criminal actions of a few who emerged from southern hotspots and tried to sneak in unnoticed or attempted to cheat the system at border checkpoints. Throw the book at them.
The authorities remain vigilant. Testing centres report a massive surge in people lining up to be swabbed in the wake of reports a small group of young women returned from Melbourne to Queensland via Sydney to try to mask their movements, only to be exposed when they tested positive to coronavirus. Officials feared a potential outbreak, but it has not occurred.
Gold Coast and Tweed residents understand Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s concern at the state of play in Victoria and to a lesser extent, in NSW. The ACT is to be included in the total ban.
Sadly, our border community is about to be thrust back into the worst of this mess.
The Premier says she tried to have the border checkpoints shifted to allow for freedom of movement in the twin towns. We don’t believe the states tried that hard.
Mayor Tom Tate supports the Premier’s stance on the border closure, but he should be ramping up pressure to achieve a sensible outcome in Coolangatta-Tweed and to help release the Coast’s businesses from shackles applied within Queensland.
Yesterday, the lines of traffic at the border had lengthened in the rush to return before the full closure kicks in, and police were scrambling to find a way to make the passes work for locals who will still want and need to cross between states.
Every time the Premier has issued an edict, the ways and means of making it work have been left to the people on the ground. Iron-clad strategies would help.
Despite the need to protect Queensland from the ravages of what is happening in the south, our city and the state economy cannot be strangled by both the border closures and tough internal restrictions.
In urging Queenslanders now to holiday at home and support local businesses, the State Government has to ease internal restrictions that still make it hard for proprietors to operate. The message was clear from the word go. Until an effective vaccine is available, we have to learn to live with this. Enforce the measures that work – the distancing, the hygiene, the testing and the contact tracing. But life should be allowed to go on in our state
Ms Palaszczuk can slam the door shut, but she should turn the light on inside.