Business owners along the Queensland-New South Wales border say the conditional border reopening next month will have almost no benefit for their struggling businesses, many of which are on the brink of closure.

Coolangatta jewellery store owner Sarah Roth said remaining restrictions — including mandatory PCR testing for anyone entering to Queensland — will deter potential customers who might have considered a day or weekend trip to Queensland.

The PCR tests will be required for anyone coming into the State for non-essential reasons from a hotspot. 

Prospective travellers will have to provide a negative PCR test or they will be turned away.

Overnight the state and federal governments announced they would jointly-fund the tests, but border businesses say it changes nothing for them.

"It's not a reopening, it's not a reopening at all for the locals, or even for tourists," Ms Roth said.

"They still can't come for a daytrip or shopping trip.

"It feels like we're being punished by a state that has no reason to do that — the economy is going to suffer so badly down here."

Ms Roth said while she understood the desire to keep COVID out of Queensland, she felt there was little to no understanding being shown for businesses being brought to their knees.

"Not only do we have the barriers of border passes, vaccinations and PCR testing, you've got a physical border there," she said.

Governments 'aren't doing enough'

Jacinta Bishop, owner of a linen and clothing store at the Strand in Coolangatta, says while she welcomes the Government footing the bill for tests, having them at all is still an inconvenience, particularly in the lead up to Christmas.

She said a border bubble would provide some relief.

"We kind of had our heart set on the border being open and having our local customer base coming across to do their shopping or dining," she said.

"It just seems like a layer of more regulations."

Queensland Health has confirmed there may be less testing requirements for fully vaccinated people entering the border zone or entering Queensland from the border zone for non-essential reasons. 

A spokesperson said they are continuing to work through the specific requirements for the 80 per cent vaccination milestone. 

Ms Roth said asking people to undergo a COVID test, and wait hours for a result, to simply visit a beach, coffee shop or go shopping over the holiday period was unreasonable.

"I feel like the Queensland government and even the federal government aren't doing enough to help Australians, and especially small businesses."

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