THE list of permitted reasons for Victorians to cross the Murray River for border bubble residents has expanded from six to 10.
One of the new reasons involves travelling through New South Wales to get between Victorian towns, but only if it is easier to travel on the NSW side.
Member for Mildura Ali Cupper said this is a significant win for the Mildura and Robinvale communities.
“I have been in constant contact with Government, making sure they understand the realities for us on the ground and strike a proportionate balance between community safety and liveability on the cross-border,” Ms Cupper said.
“The Sturt Highway is a vital route for people making the daily commute between Mildura and Robinvale.
“Shutting off this corridor would have a devastating effect on our region’s functionality, so having this rule confirmed in writing is a great assurance for those who need to commute between the towns.”
It is a 90km journey between Mildura and Robinvale via the NSW side, and a 134km journey via the Victorian side.
“This isn’t only about saving time and fuel, the road quality is also significantly different,” Ms Cupper said.
“The Sturt is a major highway designed for significant traffic flows, while parts of Hattah-Robinvale Road simply aren’t built with this in mind, and are by their nature more unsafe.”
Other new exemptions included in the changes include
· Visiting an intimate partner
· Moving house, inspecting a property or attending an auction
· Driving someone who cannot drive themselves
The changes to the border bubble rules came as Victorian on Wednesday recorded a new coronavirus case after initially revelling in a day of no infections.
The Department of Health on Wednesday afternoon said it was investigating a confirmed case and would provide more information shortly.
Earlier in the day, authorities had warned Victorians will not get an early rules reprieve despite the state notching its first COVID-19 clean sheet since the fifth lockdown.
COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said it was cause for quiet celebration and satisfaction.
“It’s a symbolic marking of a point where there’s no more COVID cases,” he said early on Wednesday.
“It means we’re on track with the strategy that we set three or four weeks ago.”
