In a new ad, Meat and Livestock Australia depicts a nation divided by concrete walls in 2031, with Queenslanders huddled behind slogans such as “Nowhere Else But Queensland”.

According to the voice over, Australia had been divided for a decade – as the NBN continued to be delayed and Sydney kept voting itself the nation’s best city – with walls extending across deserts and beyond beaches.

However, when an old man smells lamb cooking on the Queensland side of the wall – as an innocent girl asks her mum who lives on the other side – it triggers a stampede from other states seemingly desperate for a Queensland barbecue. As the walls come down, Australians are re-united with comical results.

Meat and Livestock Australia’s Graeme Yardy said it was a light-hearted way to end “a year that has really tested the Australian spirit”.

“For the first time in our history, hard borders between states challenged how we stay connected as individuals and as a country,” Yardy said.

“As a brand that celebrates unity, in this year’s campaign, we wanted to reinforce that as a nation we are always stronger together. Our hope for 2021 will be that the virtual get togethers of the last 12 months will be replaced with family and friends enjoying each other’s company and sharing an Aussie lamb barbie, the most delicious meal of all.”

The border restrictions have inflamed political tensions, particularly between Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian. In the ad, a West Australian in mining gear tunnels into Queensland, apologising for WA having tried to secede from the rest of Australia.