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Monday, August 30, 2021

Queensland records zero local COVID-19 cases amid 'positive' NSW border talks, truck drivers criticised for M1 protest - ABC News

Officials on either side of the Queensland-New South Wales border will continue to meet over the next 48 hours to see if they can thrash out an agreement about changes to restrictions on border communities.

It comes as Queensland recorded zero new locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Monday, a day after NSW announced 1,218 infections — the highest daily state total since the pandemic began.

Two cases were detected in Queensland's hotel quarantine system. 

The Queensland government has flagged the hard border with New South Wales may be in place until at least October, a blow to the communities of the southern Gold Coast and the Tweed.

On the NSW side, residents are under lockdown restrictions, while Queensland will not let anyone but essential workers cross the border.

It has hit businesses in the area hard.

Queensland's State Disaster Coordinator Steve Gollschewski met with NSW Cross-Border Commissioner James McTavish on Sunday, along with health authorities from both states.

While the meetings were described as "positive", no significant changes have yet been agreed upon.

NSW officials on Sunday said they had put forward several proposals for consideration and were continuing to work on the details.

A 'very dynamic situation'

They said their principal goal was to improve access for border communities in a COVID-safe manner.

"There's a stack of work that's happening," Mr McTavish told ABC Radio Brisbane on Sunday.

"Some progress that may be delayed because of changes in circumstance, because it is a very dynamic situation.

"We're focussed on delivering something which is beneficial to people in those border communities and doing that as quickly as we can."

There was traffic disruption on the Pacific Motorway this morning as disgruntled truck drivers blocked the M1 over a requirement to have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose to cross the border into Queensland for essential work.

Federal Employment Minister Stuart Robert, whose electorate takes in part of the Gold Coast, criticised drivers for their action at Reedy Creek.

"I get the issue where public good meets personal liberty," he said.

"If you want to make a point, great, make that point. But don't inconvenience thousands and thousands of people."

There have been calls for the border checkpoint to be moved south to the Tweed River, but NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro effectively ruled that out late last week.

He said the NSW government "vehemently opposed" the idea for a range of reasons, and said it would shift the problem rather than solve it.

It is understood that position on the border checkpoint has not changed.

Mr Gollschewski said meetings would continue into Tuesday.

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Queensland records zero local COVID-19 cases amid 'positive' NSW border talks, truck drivers criticised for M1 protest - ABC News
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