GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate has jokingly suggested he would build a wall to stop people from New South Wales and Victoria crossing the border to use Queensland rubbish depots.

The Gold Coast Bulletin reported on Saturday Mr Tate would stop at nothing to stop the flow of rubbish into Queensland, even joking he would build a wall similar to President Donald Trump's solution to illegal crossing at the Mexican border. But Tweed MP Geoff Provest told the Tweed Daily News rubbish wasn't being moved from Sydney across the border because of rules implemented about 18 months ago to stop the mass movement of waste.

"Basically there was a tendency of moving rubbish from Sydney,” Mr Provest said.

"But there's now a 150km zone south of the border to prevent anyone moving rubbish north.

"Nowhere else in NSW can do it.”

Mr Provest said Mr Tate should be fully aware of these current rules.

"I think he's just trying to politicise it,” Mr Provest said.

"It's done with the full knowledge of the Queensland Government.”

Mr Provest said the rubbish transferred across the border was for recycling purposes.

"At the end of the day there's a great concern from the environment south of border,” he said.

"It's got to be of a recyclable grade.

"It makes far greater sense for it to go to the larger metro areas where they have greater recycling facilities.

"We don't have the landfill. We're a transfer station (in the Tweed).

"We pay for it too, the Queensland Government makes money out of it.”