Queensland authorities have eased COVID-19 border restrictions for 150,000 northern NSW residents in five council areas, with the Sunshine State again recording no new cases of coronavirus.
Residents in the Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay, Richmond Valley and Glen Innes local government areas will now be able to apply for an border zone resident declaration pass and travel into Queensland.
People in the expanded border bubble will be able to travel anywhere in Queensland for any purpose from Thursday, as long as they haven't travelled to a declared COVID-19 hotspot in the last 14 days.
Australian Defence Force personnel have been withdrawn from Queensland's borders and airports.
With active cases at just four, authorities have also relaxed social-distancing restrictions on outdoor venues.
However the border will remain shut to the rest of NSW until it has gone for 28 days without a single incident of unlinked community transmission.
Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says the southern state may be able to achieve that by the end of October when Queenslanders go to the polls.
"We would hope that within 28 days of NSW not having any of those unlinked community cases we should be able to open up," she said.
"The soonest that would be is towards the end of October."
The Queensland government goes into caretaker mode on October 6, with the laws recommending ministers and departments take steps to avoid "significant decisions" until after the election.
It's still uncertain whether a decision to reopen the NSW border would be taken during that time.
Meanwhile, Queenslanders will have to stay two metres apart at outdoor restaurants, beer gardens, theme parks and zoos.
The maximum number allowed at events with COVID-safe checklists has increased from 500 to 1000.
Stadiums, amphitheatres and performance venues with COVID-safe plans are allowed to increase capacity from 50 per cent to 75 per cent.
The changes for stadiums come as Queensland gears up to host the AFL grand final at Brisbane's Gabba on October 24, one week out from voting day.
