MUM AND DUMBER
DARLING DOWNS WOMAN WHO SMUGGLED MOTHER ACROSS BORDER SPEAKS
ZOWIE Burford has gone public with her explanation as to why she breached the NSW-Queensland border on foot and then helped smuggle her mum Paula Joy Burford across in a car boot.
The Warwick woman said she flew to South Australia about a month ago to help her homeless mum get into Queensland to access medical treatment for what she feared was bowel cancer.
“She was concerned about wait times in South Australia, she had lost about 13 kilos and the blood tests had ruled out an infection,” Zowie said.
The pair was driving back to Queensland through western New South Wales and got as far as Moree before the border slammed shut.
“When I went over to South Australia, I was unaware that I couldn’t get back in,” Zowie said.
Zowie said she contacted police and claimed she was told she could cross the border if she had the right documentation.
But when they got to Goondiwindi on July 28 they were denied entry.
“We slept in our car overnight,” Zowie said.
The pair then returned to Moree where they waited for about two weeks before attempting a second border crossing.
On August 12, they were again stopped at Goondiwindi by police but Zowie and Paula pushed through.
“I had five kids to get back to,” she said
“I didn’t care, I don’t know what I was thinking so I drove through, but the police stopped me.”
The couple was again removed from Queensland so Zowie went bush.
“I ended up walking through farm paddocks to get back to my children that night,” she said.
On August 18, Zowie arranged for her mother’s car to be towed across the border while her mother hid in the boot. This attempt also failed.
Police found Paula hiding in the boot, so they hit her with a $4135 fine for failing to comply with a public health direction and kicked her back to New South Wales.
Paula walked across the border later that night where Zowie picked her up and took her to Zowie’s Warwick home. It was here that police found both women on Friday.
Police issued Paula with a notice to appear in the Warwick Magistrates Court charged with failing to comply with a public health direction, and fined Zowie $4135.
Paula later pleaded guilty and was fined $4135.
For their part, police make no apologies for their tough stance on the border.
“The NSW border is really our frontline in the battle against Covid,” Darling Downs City Patrol Group Inspector Paul James said.
“Our broader business and welfare future rests on our border security and actions of individuals.
“This is why there are considerable penalties for people doing the wrong thing and putting others at risk.”
While the border is shut tight, Queensland Health does make exemptions for people with medical appointments or who need emergency medical treatment.
There is a ban on people from Victoria or NSW moving to Queensland.
“We appreciate that many personal circumstances are affected by the chief health officer’s directions; however the QPS remains committed to ensuring the safety of all residents and seeks the co-operation of the community to comply with the current directions,” Insp James said.
“Police will continue to take action against any deliberate breach of the CHO directions to keep our community safe from the further spread of COVID-19.”