MEMBER for Northern Victoria Tania Maxwell has issued a plea to the Victorian and New South Wales governments to reopen the border once stage 3 lockdowns come into effect in metropolitan Melbourne.
Ms Maxwell said that once the metropolitan restrictions were in place, there was “no logical reason” to restrict day-to-day access for locals to cross the border, sometimes multiple times a day, for work and services.
The hard border closures and checkpoints, including the George Chaffey Bridge checkpoint at Mildura, were initiated in response to a wave of infections in metropolitan Melbourne and before Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced a return to metropolitan stage 3 restrictions.
Mr Andrews on Tuesday announced a return to restrictions for Melbourne and Mitchell Shire at midnight on Wednesday.
“The border closures were intended to stop the spread of the Melbourne outbreak and restricting the essential movement of people in our regions, where there are still low (or no) cases, only creates disruption and distress,” Ms Maxwell said.
“With the hard lockdowns coming into effect in Melbourne, the need for border restrictions between NSW and Victoria is defunct and the border should be reopened.”
Residents in border towns have been able to access 14-day permits to cross the border at the Service NSW website on Wednesday.
