[Updated 20/08] Queensland Border Restrictions Update

20/08/20: Queensland Health has expanded the list of exempt border communities. Check out the map for details. You can also check your address via the Border Pass portal.

Original Notice

Queensland Health has provided the following additional information regarding Queensland’s border restrictions.

What are the changes from 1.00am Saturday 8 August?

Hotspots

All of Victoria and Greater Sydney are currently listed as COVID-19 hotspots. All of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory will be considered COVID-19 hotspots from 1am Saturday, 8 August 2020.

COVID-19 hotspots are updated regularly here.

Residents of hotspots cannot enter Queensland, except in very limited circumstances. Queensland residents may enter, but must undertake mandatory hotel quarantine if not exempt.

An exemption applies to residents of border communities, as below. However, there are still restrictions and a number of different scenarios will apply to Hutchies’ people living or working in these locations.

These scenarios are detailed below.

Border residents

A border zone resident is someone who lives in a community on the Queensland New South Wales border. See the map here (PDF). This includes both sides of the border – people who live in Queensland but work or go to school in their neighbouring border town, or people who live in New South Wales but come to work or school in their neighbouring border town in Queensland. Border zone residents can cross the border for any purpose.

Queensland border zone residents cannot travel outside the border zone in New South Wales and New South Wales border zone residents cannot travel outside the border zone in either Queensland or New South Wales.

Travel by air

You can only enter Queensland from a hotspot if you travel by air. You cannot travel by road through a hotspot.

The only people allowed to enter Queensland by road are:

1. truck drivers
2. workers related to the transport of freight and logistics
3. people performing essential activities
4. border zone residents.

Children and mandatory quarantine

Everyone, including children, must quarantine in government arranged accommodation. You will need to quarantine with your child in the accommodation, at your expense. If you have other children that you are caring for, they will need to quarantine with you unless you can make other arrangements for them to be cared for.

You will have to apply for an exemption from the Chief Health Officer in order to send your child to Queensland from a hotspot by themselves. This is to ensure that no one under the age of 18 is unaccompanied in government arranged quarantine.

Further updates regarding construction as an essential activity

We have heard reports that construction may be considered an essential activity again, but this is unconfirmed, so we will continue to update you as more information becomes available.

Applying for a Queensland Border Declaration Pass

Anyone who requires a border pass (including as described in the scenarios below) must apply for a new pass from 1am, Saturday 8 August.

Previous passes will no longer be accepted.

No exceptions will be made for anyone who is not carrying a new border pass. 

The new pass system is accessible here: https://www.qld.gov.au/border-pass

Scenarios that may apply to Hutchies’ people

Hutchies is seeking urgent clarification from the QLD Government around essential worker exemptions and we will provide an update as soon as possible.

I am a NSW resident. I live in an exempt NSW border community, but my project is outside the border communities in NSW (e.g. Byron Bay)

You can work in NSW, but you cannot enter QLD with the border zone resident declaration pass as your project is outside of the permitted border community zone. This means you cannot go to any Hutchies offices or yards that are within QLD (e.g. Coolangatta) whilst the QLD border restriction is in place.

I am a NSW resident. I live in an exempt NSW border community and I work in QLD at a Hutchies’ office/yard/project within the border community zone (e.g. Southport)

You must apply for a border zone resident declaration pass (Pass X). With the pass, you are permitted to cross the border by road and can continue to work in QLD. However, you must not travel outside the exempt NSW border community, and you must not travel outside the QLD border community. You are only permitted to travel within the border community zone.

I am a NSW resident. I don’t live in an exempt NSW border community and I work in QLD at a Hutchies’ office/yard/project within the border community zone (e.g. Yatala)

You cannot enter QLD as you do not live in an exempt NSW border community and do not currently qualify for an exemption.

I am a NSW resident. I live in an exempt NSW border community and I work on a project outside of the QLD border community zone (e.g. Loganholme)

You must apply for a border zone resident declaration pass (Pass X). With the pass, you are permitted to cross the border by road and travel to a construction site by vehicle. You are permitted to drive anywhere in QLD for the purposes of working on a construction site. On return to NSW, you must not travel outside the exempt NSW border community. You are only permitted to travel within the border community zone except for the purposes of going directly to and working on your project.

I am a NSW resident and I want to go to Hutchies’ Toowong office

You cannot enter QLD for this purpose. Exempt NSW border community residents can only go as far as the permitted QLD border communities, unless driving to perform work on a construction site. Other NSW residents (who live outside of the border zone) are banned from entering QLD entirely and will be turned back at the border. Use Hutchies’ teleconferencing / video meeting facilities instead.

I am a NSW resident and I want to move/work to somewhere in QLD permanently

You can enter QLD with a ‘moving to QLD’ border declaration pass but you will still be subject to mandatory hotel quarantine, even if you are permanently moving to QLD for work.

I am a QLD resident and I live in a QLD border community. My project is in NSW inside the exempt border community zone (e.g. Casuarina)

You must apply for a border zone resident declaration pass (Pass X). With the pass, you are permitted to cross the border by road and can continue to work in NSW. However, you must not travel outside the exempt NSW border community, otherwise you will be subject to mandatory hotel quarantine on your return to QLD.

I am a QLD resident and I live in a QLD border community. My project is in NSW outside the border community zone (e.g. Lennox Head)

You can enter NSW but you will not be permitted back in QLD without undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine as you do not currently qualify for an exemption.

I am a QLD resident. I don’t live within the QLD border community zone (e.g. Toowoomba) but my project is in NSW (either inside the exempt border community zone or anywhere else in NSW)

You can enter NSW but you will not be permitted back in QLD without undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine as you do not currently qualify for an exemption.

I am a QLD resident. I live in a QLD border community zone and I work in QLD at a Hutchies’ office within the border community zone (e.g. Southport)

You can continue to travel normally around QLD. If you wish to enter the exempt NSW border community zone for any purpose, you must apply for a border zone resident declaration pass (Pass X). With the pass, you are permitted to cross the border by road and can go into NSW. However, if you do enter NSW, you must not travel outside the exempt NSW border community, and you must not travel outside the QLD border community. You are only permitted to travel within the exempt border community zones.

I am a QLD resident. I don’t live in the QLD border community zone but I work in QLD at a Hutchies’ office within the border community zone (e.g. Coolangatta). I would like go to NSW for a meeting

You can enter NSW but you will not be permitted back in QLD without undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine as you do not currently qualify for an exemption. Use Hutchies’ teleconferencing / video meeting facilities instead. Hutchies is seeking urgent clarification from the QLD Government around essential worker exemptions and we will provide an update as soon as possible. 

For Further Clarification

Please contact the Online Team / Harleigh Venables & Tabi Ward 

Phone 0427 059 569 / 0400 046 090 

Email online@hutchies.com.au