Tweed River solution for border crisis

THE Tweed River must become the new border between Queensland and New South Wales to ensure the movement of essential workers like police, health workers and teachers.

The Bulletin understands many Covid strategists believe this is the only way forward given the Delta strain impacting on so many northern NSW communities.

Southern-based Gold Coast police stations, health services and schools are being stretched for staff due to the current border lockdowns with NSW staffers having trouble crossing and returning home.

Areas in lockdown in NSW include the Ballina Shire, Byron Shire and city of Lismore. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is warning Queenslanders to stay out of the southern state.

A police source told the Bulletin: “You can get almost half the people at some southern Coast police stations living in Tweed. If they go into lockdown, they are not coming to work. They are essential workers, but they are abiding by the NSW regulations to stay at home.”

A Queensland health source acknowledged the need to pivot on policy regarding “the bubble”.

“We have to shrink the bubble. Delta (strain of Covid) is spreading in northern NSW communities. The Tweed River is the perfect landmark,” the source said.

Mayor Tom Tate agrees that the Tweed River as a border mark would allow most workers based in that area and Murwillumbah easier access to their jobs in Queensland.

“I support any initiative that keeps the vital TweedCoolangatta bubble open,” he told the Bulletin.

“If by adopting the Tweed River as a temporary border assists the police with enforcement, I’m 100 per cent supportive. I understand a change in border may also greatly help the thousands of workers, school students and essential workers to move between Tweed and Coolangatta.

“As mayor, I encourage both governments to do everything practical to implement this change ASAP as the Covid situation in NSW may continue for some time.”

In July last year, Ms Palaszczuk wrote to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in a bid to push the border south to the river.

The State Labor leader was seeking support to relocate the drama-plagued Tweed-Coolangatta border checkpoints 7km south. The aim was to ease the traffic congestion and impacts on the lives of what is essentially one community split in two by border checkpoints.

But Ms Berejiklian, at the time, indicated she would rather see it shifted in the other direction.

“We’re happy to engage and consider all options. If anything, the border should be moved north,” she said.

But that request occurred when there was a zero infection rate in northern NSW.

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young on Thursday admitted she was “very concerned” about the border situation and would be monitoring it across the next 48 hours.

“What we are seeing now is more of these regional communities close to the Queensland border, especially out in the south west area, are now going into a period of lockdown,” Dr Young said.

“We are very concerned.

The Deputy Premier and I will be having a phone hook up with our mayors along those border communities, just to reinforce to them that no one should be crossing that border to go into New South Wales at this stage.

“Can I say to Queenslanders who live on the Gold Coast-New South Wales border as well, or any Queenslanders in southern parts of our state, please do not cross into New South Wales.”