Our region deserves some clarity

IT’S like Christmas morning for Townsville residents today, who have not only woken to a cool change but the first easing of restrictions since social distancing protocols were put in place.

Like puppies hanging their heads out of the windows of travelling cars, we’ll be whipping our hair back and forth in the new winds of freedom.

But it’s a cautionary tale, and one we need to heed: Overstep these newfound boundaries and risk life returning to the doldrums we’ve experienced over the past month-anda-half.

While it’s good news for the return of the NRL, and especially here in Townsville with key advocates pushing for a relaunch in our new stadium, the business community is demanding a more detailed road map for our region of when other restrictions are expected to be lifted.

If it can be done for a sporting franchise, then surely the State Government can accommodate this request for our local communities and business leaders struggling to stay afloat in the pandemic.

This information is completely necessary in order for business owners and other key stakeholders to plan their re-entry into the market, and more than that, it’s what they deserve.

Townsville has not had a new case of COVID-19 for 23 days, that’s getting close to two cycles which is the standard the Premier has been touting.

It’s time to make the right decision and treat Northern Queensland as its own entity so we can get back to life as normal as soon as it is safe to do so.

The country has taken a massive hit and now is the time for business leaders to get together to work out how we come back from this for the sake of everyone.