Ontological security implications of COVID-19 border restrictions in Goondiwindi, Queensland

ABSTRACT Under justifications of health and security, Australian federal and state governments enacted stringent border restrictions during COVID-19. Whilst the economic and health impacts of such restrictions are a developing area of scholarship, impacts on rural citizens' ontological security and how people view the state and state institutions are less well understood. This research aims to contribute to addressing this gap through a qualitative study comprising semi-structured interviews with 35 people from the Queensland border town of Goondiwindi. This research found an aggregate reduction in the ontological security of rural participants resulting from their experiences with border restrictions during COVID-19. The findings illustrate a sustained narrative of anxiety and insecurity, identifying trends of distrust and suspicion of public institutions. This research provides avenues for addressing the ontological needs of the citizenry as an analeptic against cultures of sustained fear.