Boaties in deep water over breach
Cops begin probe as outrage grows
THE Gold Coast’s top cop says Queenslanders had every right to feel outraged over a Melbourne millionaire and his family’s arrival on a luxury yacht, as police launch a criminal investigation into the voyage.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also said she was “disgusted’’ by the allegations, which centre around mogul Mark Simonds’ 40m yacht Lady Pamela, which arrived at Gold Coast City Marina at Coomera on Monday after a 15-day voyage from Victoria, during which it’s alleged the yacht docked in NSW and breached the border ban.
Mr Simonds and six other occupants, reportedly family and friends, were tested for coronavirus at the marina and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young originally granted them an exemption from quarantine.
However Dr Young revoked the exemptions following community outrage, forcing Mr Simonds, the executive director of the ASXlisted Simonds Group, and the other occupants into hotel quarantine. They are believed to be staying at QT Gold Coast, in Surfers Paradise.
Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said: “No one is above the law, no one should feel so entitled they can just break the
rules and make their way in.” No one has been arrested or charged by police. “At 9am on August 24 the Lady Pamela arrived at Coomera. It had seven people on board and it’s alleged it travelled from Victoria via NSW. The occupants were given a chief health officer’s exemption on August 20, 2020
to enter Queensland, but that was under strict conditions,” Supt Wheeler said Wednesday.
“On August 25 the chief health officer revoked the exemption and the occupants were placed into hotel quarantine here on the Gold Coast. So Gold Coast District Police last night attended that marina and took those people into self-funded quarantine.”
Ms Palaszczuk said she was “disgusted” by the allegations.
“I am disgusted about it, and now there is a criminal investigation because it puts the community at risk,” she said.
Mr Wheeler said since police were posted at the Queensland-NSW border from March 26, officers have
I THINK IT’S FAIR ENOUGH THE COMMUNITY IS UPSET AND FRUSTRATED WITH THIS TYPE OF ALLEGED BEHAVIOUR
regularly seen people trying to flaunt the border blockade “through means that are inappropriate or in some cases unlawful”.
“While I won’t talk about this particular case because it’s under investigation, what I’d say is that people who blatantly breach the chief health officers’ directions in trying to get into Queensland, when they’re detected they’ll be dealt with the full force of the law. There is no excuse,” he said.
“It puts the whole community in danger.”
Supt Wheeler said he understood the community would be frustrated and disappointed “and in some cases probably outraged’’ by people who think they can breach the rules.
“I think it’s fair enough the community is upset and frustrated with this type of alleged behaviour,” he said.
The yacht reportedly left Melbourne on August 9 with Mr Simonds’ wife Cheryl, their
youngest son, and Hannah Fox, daughter of Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox, on-board.
Anyone travelling into Queensland from a declared hot spot by boat can avoid mandatory 14-day quarantine if they have been isolating at sea and can provide a negative test result on their arrival.
Gold Coast City Marina management refused to speak about the Lady Pamela and only said: “It’s none of your business.”
SUPT MARK WHEELER