MPs call on Scott Morrison to end NSW border chaos

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has been urged to intervene to end the New South Wales Government’s “draconian”, “illogical” and “devastating” cross-border closure with Victoria.

In a letter sent to Mr Morrison this week, three Members of Parliament on both sides of the Murray River said the continuation of the restrictive regime would be a death knell for small towns along the Victoria-NSW border.

The MPs — Member for Mildura Ali Cupper, Member for Murray Helen Dalton and Member for Northern Victoria Tania Maxwell — said a simple solution to ease the impacts on border communities would be to extend the zone from Bendigo to Wagga.

The NSW Government closed the NSW-Victoria border‬ from July 22 and anyone who has been in Victoria within the past 14 days must not enter NSW except in special circumstances.

The three MPs said the stricter border restrictions were decimating border communities socially and economically.

They said that while they supported sensible restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the implementation of the NSW-Victoria border closure was devastating cross-border communities who had been co-dependent on each other for more than a century.

“There is no evidence the extreme measures impacting on border residents are necessary — especially considering residents of Sydney COVID hot spots remain free to travel around the state,” the MPs said in the letter.

“The key problem is the NSW Government’s very narrow and illogical definition of the so-called border zone — a zone that allows permit-based travel for work, education, health and to purchase essential goods.

“Many NSW towns have been excluded from the border zone, even though they are entirely dependent on Victoria for their goods, services and as their source of education, employment and health care.

“A continuation of this restrictive regime would be the death-knell for small towns who have already been devastated by drought and water mismanagement.”

The trio said the implementation of the new restrictions had been haphazard and inconsistent, with different government departments providing people with contradictory advice.

They said that as a result, hundreds of people had lost their jobs and entire industries faced annihilation because they had been unable to get access to seasonal workers on visas.

“A simple solution would be to widen the border zone from Bendigo in Victoria to Wagga in NSW — allowing travel within this zone for purposes such as work, education, health care, the purchase of goods and services and compassionate visits to family members in need of care,” they wrote.

“As there are relatively few coronavirus cases within this zone, allowing essential travel would pose few health risks.

“But it would alleviate the enormous health, social and economic upheaval currently faced by residents in these areas.

“As our consistent pleas to the NSW Government have fallen on deaf ears, we urge you to intervene to protect the future of small border towns.”

Ms Cupper said the NSW Government continued to refuse to allow seasonal workers from Victoria on to NSW farms despite calls from industry and community leaders.

“This restriction is costing citrus farmers in our region $1 million a day, which is totally unacceptable,” she said.

“NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian continues to promote the line there is no labour shortage in NSW given so many people in hospitality and aviation had lost their jobs during the pandemic.

“This is no solution, and anyone who has even the slightest idea of how our horticulture industry works knows that.

“It is frustrating the NSW Government won’t participate in honest dialogue with industry and community leaders in border towns about this situation.”

Copies of the joint letter have also been sent to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and respective Victorian and NSW Agricultural Ministers Jaclyn Symes and Adam Marshall.