WAIT, YOU CAN’T ESCAPE
MOTORISTS have been warned long delays are an “iron-clad guarantee” at the Queensland-NSW border as police erected a 700m border wall to stop frustrated locals trying to avoid checkpoints.
Despite Queensland recording no new cases for the third day running, polce are taking no chances after Victoria recorded 317 new cases.
Police are now pulling over and checking every NSW-registered vehicle.
GOLD Coast-Tweed drivers and families are warned long delays are an “iron-clad guarantee” at the QueenslandNSW border after Victoria announced 317 new COVID cases on Thursday.
Police ordered an immovable 700m section of wall for part of the Coolangatta-Tweed borderline to stop frustrated locals trying to drive across embankments in a bid to avoid checkpoints.
A total of 317 new cases were recorded in Victoria – the most in a 24-hour period since the pandemic started. Two men in their 80s died from the virus, taking that state’s death toll to 29 and Australia’s total to 113.
NSW also recorded 15 new cases overnight on Wednesday, including three cases of community transmission with no known source.
Queensland recorded no new cases for the third day running, with four active cases remaining across the state.
But police at Coolangatta were taking no chances, calling for a 700m wall of water-filled barriers to stop rat-runners sneaking into Queensland.
The new wall, installed by Gold Coast City Council workers on Thursday afternoon, runs almost the length of Dixon St.
The water in the temporary fence makes the barriers so heavy motorists or pedestrians are unable to move them to get through.
The order followed problems mainly with border residents, including Tweed Heads Hospital visitors, skirting the border blockade.
A new-look border pass that came into effect at noon on Wednesday was designed to make the crossing “a lot quicker” for motorists, according to authorities. The design prominently displays the expiry date and pass status for staff at the border checkpoints.
Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler conceded the new border pass would make little difference to delays for commuters.
“But it will mean a real difference to staff working the border and will get (drivers) through a lot quicker,” Supt Wheeler said.
However, asked when the situation at the border would ease, he said the long delays were “an iron-clad guarantee”.
“I acknowledge, as I have all week, there have been inconveniences and delays, some real angst caused,” he said.
“Of course, that is unfortunate but unavoidable. Our staff are doing everything to get them through as quickly as they can.”
Police said motorists had been driving over an embankment next to a closed roundabout at the intersection of Dixon and Florence streets to illegally enter Queensland.
Police are checking every NSW-registered vehicle, and are patrolling Dixon St to stop people dodging the checkpoints.
The problem had increased after 77 Sydney local government areas, including Liverpool and Campbelltown, were declared COVID hot spots on Tuesday.
The border police response to that, with increased scrutiny of drivers and passengers, led
THAT IS UNFORTUNATE BUT UNAVOIDABLE. STAFF ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO GET THEM THROUGH AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN. CHIEF SUPT MARK WHEELER
to delays of up to two hours at the border checkpoints.
Motorists must sign a statutory declaration they have not been in Victoria for 14 days as well as new COVID-19 hot spots. Police can require evidence of not being in an area for two weeks, such as accommodation and fuel receipts or date-location stamped photos.
One Gold Coast mum who crosses the border daily is calling for more checkpoints.
Jodie Coert leaves her job at Tweed Heads by 1pm each day to make it to her son’s school in time for pick-up.
Ms Coert said traffic queues had blown out due to more stringent checks.
She said what used to be an easy 15-minute trip to pick up her eight-year-old boy was now taking 40 to 90 minutes.
Nineteen Queensland residents who visited the recently declared hotspot Crossroads Hotel in Sydney’s southwest were reported to have tested negative for coronavirus.
At least 34 cases have been linked to the hotel, with an urgent public health alert for Queenslanders who had visited the area issued on July 12.
There are three Gold Coast pop-up COVID-19 testing stations. One is at Gold Coast Airport, another at Albert Waterways Community Centre and a third out of a mobile van on Surfers Paradise Blvd.