VICTORIAN Nationals leader Peter Walsh said the closure of the Victoria-NSW border was a “bitter blow to the people in Mildura”.
The Member for Murray Plains said the COVID-19 situation in Victoria had reached a critical point, with the state now virtually isolated from the rest of the country.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed on Monday that Victorians will be required to apply for a special exemption permit through Service NSW, but that the eligibility criteria has not yet been determined.
NSW Police have confirmed aerial surveillance of the border and that road crossing points will be manned to enforce the border closure.
Ms Berejiklian has indicated there will be significant disruptions to border travel over the next 72 hours as the details are worked out.
“Our communities in northern Victoria shouldn’t be forced to suffer because the Andrews Labor Government has lost control of its virus management in Melbourne,” Mr Walsh said.
“NSW have said there will be strict criteria to enter NSW but I will seek further detail over the next 24 hours to fill in the blanks.”
Mr Walsh said the NSW decision to close its borders with Victoria will have a massive impact on families and businesses in Victorian border communities.
“This closure is a dramatic and unprecedented move, but Daniel Andrews can’t tell us anything about what it means for us, despite being in the meeting with the Prime Minister and NSW Premier,” Mr Walsh said.
“Victoria is now the pariah state of the nation and it’s all due to Daniel Andrews’ incompetence.
“The initial news from the NSW government is that all casual and social traffic between Mildura and any of the towns just across the river – let alone elsewhere – will end at midnight tomorrow.
“Our communities and local economies have already been smashed by Victoria’s COVID-19 shutdowns.
“We are all prepared to do our bit to flatten the curve and save lives but for us to be dragged into Melbourne’s mess is a bitter blow to people in Mildura and also those across the river who see Mildura as their regional hub.”
