Replacing the previous cross-border resident permit, the new border zone resident permit limited eligibility based on residential addresses, leaving many people living in Yarroweyah, Katamatite, Strathmerton and Koonoomoo in limbo.
It also removed the "daily life" clause, limiting movement to the purposes of work, education, medical care/supplies or to provide or receive care for a vulnerable person.
Later that day, the NSW Government announced Barooga and Tocumwal residents would be allowed to cross into Cobram for essential goods and services.
Under a remote community resident permit, people can now enter the Victorian town for "food, fuel or hygiene products or disability support services, necessary for the person to live safely and maintain their health", according to the Service NSW website.
The border zone has also since been extended to include parts of Boomanoomana and Lalalty.
However both Moira and Berrigan shire councils are calling on the NSW Government to ease its latest border restrictions.
The councils have joined forces with 12 councils spanning both sides of the Murray River who are united in saying they have been inundated with messages, emails and phone calls from residents who can no longer get to work or open their businesses, with many already closing their doors.
Amid fears of a devastating economic impact on border communities that have always lived and worked closely together, the border leaders have combined to tell the NSW Government that the creation of a border zone now restricted effectively to a 2 km strip on either side of the river was unacceptable and unsustainable.
Moira Shire Mayor Libro Mustica said the harsh restrictions were creating stress and anxiety for workers, businesses and families, some of whom were facing enormous financial and emotional hardship because of the narrow permit zone along the border.
“Our request to the NSW Government is simple: please allow border community workers on both sides of the border to do their jobs,” he said.
“While we understand that both governments are working to restrict the spread of COVID-19, it should be made clear that there are only a handful of active cases of the virus in the border communities yet people living along the Murray River are being heavily penalised through no fault of their own.”
Berrigan Shire Mayor Matthew Hannan expressed similar concerns.
He said all 12 councils had taken the historic step of uniting in a collective call for NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard to amend the order to allow more workers and business owners to cross the border, travel directly to their workplaces and travel directly back to their homes each day.
“The narrow border strip system is causing a growing amount of harm to our communities as each day passes, so we’re urging the government to consult with us so we can save our economies while also ensuring we’re all working together to minimise the risk of the virus spreading,” Cr Hannan said.
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