NO BUDGE ON BORDER BLOCK REPORT P9

Premier says border shut for June

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has vowed to leave the NSW border closed until at least the end of the month, despite a Bulletin report yesterday revealing she has no idea how much the decision is hurting the state.

The state recorded no new coronavirus cases yesterday but the Premier said she would not change her stance on border restrictions this month. “You can ask me every single day but my mind is not changing because we still have active cases in the southern states.”

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has vowed to leave the NSW border closed until at least the end of the month, despite a Bulletin report yesterday revealing she has no idea how much the decision is hurting the state.

The Treasury has admitted is it not modelling the economic fallout on the border closure. Gold Coast tourism leaders have said it is costing the city $310 million every month it is closed and thousands of jobs.

Overall, the city is projected to lose up to $4.3 billion from the coronavirus crisis. The Premier’s office said the borders were closed on health advice.

“Nothing is changing in the month of June,” Ms Palaszczuk said yesterday. “You can ask me every single day but my mind is not changing because we still have active cases in the southern states.

“At the end of June we will review that as I have said, but we will not compromise the health of Queenslanders at this time – full stop.”

The state had no new coronavirus cases yesterday.

Opposition leader Deb Frecklington said she was gobsmacked that the economic hit caused by the border closures had not even been calculated.

“All closed borders are doing is closing business and costing jobs,” Ms Frecklington said.

“Revelations that there has been no economic modelling around border closures shows that Labor is flying blind through Queensland’s biggest economic crisis.

“We know that 80 per cent of Queensland’s tourism dollars come from NSW and Victoria, which is one of the reasons why the borders need to open.

“We know there are people down south who have money to spend on real estate, on tourism and on the great products that Queensland has.”

Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce boss Martin Hall told the Bulletin on Thursday he was “gobsmacked” that modelling had not been done.

“It is appalling that the Government is making decisions about the future of border restrictions without having any clue of the true economic impact that its decisions are having,” he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison again called on premiers of the states with closed borders to “make decisions consistent with the National Cabinet timetable” that called for interstate travel in July.

“I’m very keen to see Australia’s economy continue to reopen and the timetable for interstate travel set up by the three-step process was for that to be able to be possible in July,” he said.

“That’s important also for school holidays and for people in New South Wales and Victoria, and I’ve got to say on a day like today, the ACT, I’m sure they’d like to see a bit of Queensland sunshine in July with their kids.”

Mr Morrison also said he had been working with Virgin on reviving aviation.