Old border about to be opened for areas outside 32 LGAs in Sydney

[MicCanberra]

18 hours ago, NSWP said:

Just silly banning people from Greater Sydney, what about people who work in Sydney CBD, but live on Central Coast or the Illawarra or the Blue Mountains and commute daily, in theory although resident in a regional area, they work in Sydney therefore cannot enter Qld.?

It was the same before though, the ACT were allowed to get in but NSW couldn't and yet many of my colleagues are from NSW and have been freely able to come and go (to the ACT) as they please.

[By The Bay]

14 hours ago, NSWP said:

Truckies are irate having to pay $24 toll, such is life, they cause more wear and tear on the road and use more roadspace.

It was reported on the news last night that trucks on the Pennant Hills Road were involved 1 in 4 accidents.

[NSWP]

4 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

It was reported on the news last night that trucks on the Pennant Hills Road were involved 1 in 4 accidents.

That Pennant Hills Rd has been a nightmare for 50 years, all those heavy vehicles, to and from Sydney west. Some of them are cowboys, should not be driving the big rigs.

Edited October 30, 2020 by NSWP

[DDG 41]

7 hours ago, Relaxing Robbies said:

We live in Melbourne. As soon as they allow us virus ridden vermin to cross the border, we need to travel to the Sunshine Coast to take my father in law’s ashes to his final resting place. We will stay one night to visit good friends, but other than that we will be getting the hell out of there back across the border and down to NSW. Although we used to travel there several times a year I have no desire to spend any of our hard earned cash there in the future.  That heartless woman has put me off completely. I will never forget her words to northern NSW residents trying to travel to their nearest large hospital for treatment. “Queensland hospitals are for Queenslanders”. I thought we were all Australians, but she set us non-Queenslanders straight. Why would anyone want to go and help their economy when there are other places where we might be welcomed?

You do realise that NSW people have been using QLD hospitals all throughout the pandemic. No one trying to enter QLD legitimately has been turned away. They have racked up Millions in Bills, which NSW health refuse to pay. Also BTW the major hospital in Northern NSW is actually in Tweed Heads, NSW

[dillpickle48]

Last weekend I drove from Greenwell Point to Newcastle and back.  The M7 and M2 were at a stand still.  Travel took 5hrs 20 mins on the way up but only 4hrs 5 mins on the way back.  Pennant Hills Road was the least of my problems.

[NSWP]

5 minutes ago, dillpickle48 said:

Last weekend I drove from Greenwell Point to Newcastle and back.  The M7 and M2 were at a stand still.  Travel took 5hrs 20 mins on the way up but only 4hrs 5 mins on the way back.  Pennant Hills Road was the least of my problems.

Not as many trucks on Pennant Hills Rd on weekends. Yes, M7 and M2 can be congested. They will just keep widening , like they do on uk motorways and have done here on Hume fwy and Newcastle expy, M4 etc.

[MMDown Under]

51 minutes ago, DDG 41 said:

You do realise that NSW people have been using QLD hospitals all throughout the pandemic. No one trying to enter QLD legitimately has been turned away. They have racked up Millions in Bills, which NSW health refuse to pay. Also BTW the major hospital in Northern NSW is actually in Tweed Heads, NSW

Yes the NSW govt was slow to improve hospital care in northern NSW, so people use Qld. hospitals.  You don't hear the NSW Premier acknowledging that.  

Tweed Heads hospital is currently being upgraded and will be shifted to a new site at Cudgen/Kingscliff.  The doctors who have been complaining are from Lismore Hospital, a long way from Qld. border. 

Edited October 30, 2020 by MMDown Under

[DDG 41]

3 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Yes the NSW govt was slow to improve hospital care in northern NSW, so people use Qld. hospitals.  You don't hear the NSW Premier acknowledging that.  

Tweed Heads hospital is currently being upgraded and will be shifted to a new site.  The doctors who have been complaining are from Lismore Hospital, a long way from Qld. border. 

And the people they are complaining about refusing treatment never asked. They just assumed they have to quarantine and went to sydney. If they asked a transfer could've occurred.

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, DDG 41 said:

And the people they are complaining about refusing treatment never asked. They just assumed they have to quarantine and went to sydney. If they asked a transfer could've occurred.

The Old Premier set up a new unit to handle special medical requests.  

Edited October 30, 2020 by MMDown Under

[DDG 41]

1 minute ago, MMDown Under said:

The Old Premier set up a new unit to handle special medical requests.  

That was for non-emergency cases. Emergency cases where if they came in an Ambulance or Helicopter they would be allowed across the border no matter.

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, DDG 41 said:

That was for non-emergency cases. Emergency cases where if they came in an Ambulance or Helicopter they would be allowed across the border no matter.

Yes that is correct. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, dillpickle48 said:

Last weekend I drove from Greenwell Point to Newcastle and back.  The M7 and M2 were at a stand still.  Travel took 5hrs 20 mins on the way up but only 4hrs 5 mins on the way back.  Pennant Hills Road was the least of my problems.

We usually go north from Lane Cove via the Comenarra Parkway which, although narrow and windy, is usually relatively free of traffic outside of rush hours. That meets Pennant Hills road at Thornleigh so not too far to the M1. Traffic was surprisingly light on Tuesday. It only took about 95 mins to get to the pie shop at Heatherbrae.

 

We'll get to try the new tunnel on our way home on Wednesday.

Edited October 30, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[Aus Traveller]

8 hours ago, Relaxing Robbies said:

That heartless woman has put me off completely. I will never forget her words to northern NSW residents trying to travel to their nearest large hospital for treatment. “Queensland hospitals are for Queenslanders”. I thought we were all Australians, but she set us non-Queenslanders straight. Why would anyone want to go and help their economy when there are other places where we might be welcomed?

A news item a couple of months ago claimed that a young pregnant woman from northern NSW (Lismore area?) lost one of her twins because the Q'ld government would not allow her to be admitted to a Queensland hospital. This was a tragic event, but the reporting wasn't accurate. It was later revealed that the woman's doctor did not contact Q'ld authorities and he told the young couple they had to go to Sydney. Then she had to wait 16 hours (?) for the air ambulance. Her husband drove to Sydney and got to the hospital quite a while before his wife. It was reported that one of her twins did not survive, but the medical advice was that it was most likely even if she had received treatment in Q'ld.

 

BTW, the woman would have been accepted into Q'ld immediately if they had asked.

[mr walker]

13 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We'll get to try the new tunnel on our way home on Wednesday.

 

We are looking forward to trying it too, soon, when we go to Central Coast to visit Tracey's sister.

 

If I understand correctly, from when we enter the M4 at Penrith & use M4, M7, M2, new tunnel & M1, we will not come to a traffic light until we have exited to Wyong! I know tolls will apply, but I think the time, fuel (not having to stop at most of 20+ lights on Pennent Hills Rd), and sanity will more than make up for it.

[OzKiwiJJ]

That reminds me of all the changes happened in the past 20 odd years between our place and Melbourne. At first it was very tedious getting out of Sydney but once the M7 opened it was much faster. So much so we had to alter our driver change / refreshment stops. On the very early trips, back in the late 1990's, Tarcutta used to be the lunch stop, now it's morning tea.

Edited October 30, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[MMDown Under]

We used to annually drive down the Newell Highway to Melbourne for the tennis, with one stop originally.  Then two, then three, and finally four stops, as we realised the journey was as enjoyable as the destination.  Newell Highway was a pleasure to drive in January as many locals were on holidays on the Coast.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

Going down to Melbourne we usually had to do it in one day, to avoid taking off too much time before Christmas, but often explored various places on the way back. It got a bit expensive at times ... too many good wine regions. 🤣