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Police have abandoned plans to install road blocks through the back streets of Coolangatta following the introduction of Queensland border restrictions that came into force at midnight.
Key points:
- People living south of the border can get a crossing pass
- Police warn delays and checks will continue for "quite some time"
- The Byron Shire Mayor wants southern travel restricted too
The restrictions caused traffic gridlock along the southern Gold Coast this morning, but police said motorists were cooperating for the most part.
Officers will instead carry out random patrols and licence checks in the area as part of efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus.
A police road block was set up on Griffith Street in Coolangatta but it was unmanned this morning, with police urging all drivers to use the Gold Coast Highway and M1 (Pacific motorway).
District Disaster Coordinator Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said police will review traffic flows daily.
"Our main objective is that people who have essential travel or needs to come to Queensland can do so as easily and seamlessly as possible," he said.
"Those who are wanting to travel for non-essential reasons — firstly, we ask them not to come to Queensland."
Queensland Premer Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the border closure earlier this week, saying it would remain open only to freight and local traffic.
Ms Palaszczuk said the move was designed to keep interstate residents, particularly people in Sydney and Melbourne, from venturing north.
State disaster coordinator Steve Gollschewski said border crossings were being controlled to deter holiday makers and non-essential travellers from entering the state and potentially spreading COVID-19.
"This is not a short-term thing, people have to be prepared for this to happen for quite some time," he said.
"What we're trying to do is concentrate on those areas where the greatest flows and the biggest risk is."
Traffic crossing the border was moving more freely heading south, prompting Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson to suggest NSW follow suit by closing the border on the southern side.
People who live and work across the border and those who have medical reasons for entering Queensland will still be allowed through.
Trucks carrying freight are also granted entry.
Online border pass available
Motorists living on the New South Wales side of the border who are eligible for an exemption under the new rules can apply for a border pass.
Once granted, it can be printed by the applicant.
Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said police would continue to modify their methods of controlling traffic.
"People have been very compliant," he said.
Who should present to COVID-19 clinics?
- Those who are experiencing flu-like symptoms — like sore throat, cough, fever — AND
- Have returned from overseas in the past 14 days or
- Have been in confirmed or suspected contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case
Patients who are tested should remain isolated at home until they receive their test results.
For more information about coronavirus call 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or go to the Queensland Health website
"We'll be adjusting this as we go through to make sure it's as seamless as possible."
While crossings along major roads like the Gold Coast Highway have seen traffic build up over kilometres, he said police had sufficient resources to implement the border controls.
"Under the health emergency, we have the ability to appoint other classes of public servants and government employees as emergency health workers that can assist us," Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said.
"If we're going to get people crossing the border out in the back of beyond or in small numbers then that's not a risk to the community."
Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak
Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said while officers were not wearing medical masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) this morning, they had that option available to them and were maintaining adequate social distancing standards.
"We've given them advice and are equipping them with PPE for them to use when they should do," he said.
Non-essential travel discouraged
Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said workers living in the "interwoven" border communities of Tweed Heads and Coolangatta "won't have an issue" receiving an exemption from the restrictions.
"I'd ask for people to do the right thing — use the M1 or the Gold Coast Highway," he said.
Chief Superintendent Wheeler said there would be a heightened number of police conducting random inspections along the southern Gold Coast.
"If you're ducking across the border for a coffee or beer with a mate, that's not essential," he said.
"What we're trying to do is stop COVID-19 from coming into Queensland."
People breaching the border closure rules face a maximum penalty of $13,345.
Your questions on coronavirus answered:
Trade dropping off
Tweed Heads resident Darcy Hide works over the border at a bakery on Griffith Street in Coolangatta but said he had no issues crossing into Queensland this morning.
"I just hasn't affected me, honestly," he said.
"They didn't have any barricades between Tweed and Coolangatta."
But he said there had been a noticeable drop in the number of customers after the border closure was announced.
"It wasn't too bad at the start of the week, we had a fair amount of people, but in the last couple of days it's declined," he said.
What the experts are saying about coronavirus:
Topics: epidemics-and-pandemics, covid-19, federal---state-issues, health-policy, travel-health-and-safety, federal---state-issues, government-and-politics, diseases-and-disorders, infectious-diseases-other, respiratory-diseases, brisbane-4000, qld, tweed-heads-2485, nsw
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