We have been receiving a lot of calls and questions to the office regarding the NSW border closure.
It light of this we decided to put together the following information explaining border definitions and restrictions that relate to the different regions.
I hope you find the following information is useful
Please Note: We have done our best to provide you with the most up to date information.
This information was accurate as of 18 August, however may be subject to change.
Information supplied from NSW Gov site 18/08/2020
https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/what-you-can-and-cant-do-under-rules/border-restrictions/areas#border-zone-residents
What’s the Difference Between a Border Zone, a Border Region and a Remote Community?
Border Zone – The border zone is an area along the NSW-Victorian border, which has special arrangements in place for residents needing to cross the border into NSW.
The border zone is also being referred to as a border bubble.
There are multiple border zones along the Victorian/ NSW border. You are only able to travel with a permit within your border zone. For example, as an Echuca or Moama resident you can apply for a permit to enter Echuca or Moama (subject to meeting permit requirements noted further below under Border Zone Resident), HOWEVER you cannot enter another border zone e.g. Travel to other towns classed as border communities, as that is considered outside your zone
Border Region – The border region has been established to allow Critical Services Workers with a critical services worker permit, to travel in an area larger than the border zone.
The permit for a Critical Service Worker is not the same as the permit a resident living in the border zone requires.
For those living outside the Border Zone and Region, you can also apply for a Critical Services, however this will need to meet the strict criteria
More information regarding travel into Border regions, including a list of permitted postcodes, and required permits can be found below under “Border Regions”.
Remote Community – In addition to the reasons listed for those living in a Border Zone, an exemption has been granted which allows border residents in Remote Communities to travel across the NSW-Victorian border to travel into Victoria or NSW for essential goods and services.
Further information for Remote Communities, including the list of eligible towns can be found further below under Remote Communities
NEW TODAY: Border Zone and Region – Agriculture
Farmers and critical agricultural workers who reside outside the Border Region Zone in Victoria will now have a new pathway to enter NSW and move outside the ‘border bubble’ for work.
If you live in Victoria within 100km of the NSW border, you can now apply for a permit to travel 100km into NSW for agricultural reasons, providing you meet the permit criteria
Under the changes, individuals will be able to access a new Highly Specialised Critical Services (Agriculture) Permit if they:
- Provide a highly specialised critical agricultural service**;
- Are moving and working anywhere within 100km of the New South Wales/Victorian border, on the NSW side;
- Comply with strict conditions if staying overnight; and
- Adhere to other safety requirements, including self-isolating when not delivering the critical service.
Exemptions for individuals needing to move beyond the 100km limit for work will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The changes come into effect at noon today and the new permits will be available via the Service NSW website.
The list of approved highly specialised critical agricultural services is;
Dairy: technicians, dairy consultants, artificial insemination specialists.
Horticultural: technicians, machinery operators and mechanics, harvesters, pruners, consultants for agronomy, plant health, harvest management, pest and
disease.
Wool: testing technicians, shearers.
Specialist consultants: agronomists, nutritionists, veterinary, seed and crop
researchers. Agribusiness specialists for where internet or video conference facilities
cannot be accessed.
Crop: harvesters, hay and silage contractors, rice sowing contractors, crop
spray/fertilizer contractors.
Forestry: workers and technicians.
Intensive livestock: piggery/poultry (egg and broiler) technicians, processing
workers, stockfeed mill operators.
Specialist contractors/equipment: irrigation specialists, fencing contractors.
Specialist agricultural service providers: market access inspectors, saleyard
operators and agents, livestock carriers.
Commercial fishing: crew and operators, aquaculture operators/technicians.
Beekeepers: commercial operators.
Commercial Wine Production: technicians, specialists involved in the production,
harvest, testing and management of vintage.
Biosecurity Officers: pest trap inspectors, pest and weed controllers.
Cross-border rural property landowners: leaseholders, agistment holders or their
agents directly involved in or responsible for land management, livestock husbandry,
agronomy pest and disease control and production management.
Information for Victorian Residents within a Border Zone
If you are a Victorian resident of a border zone and wish to cross into the NSW side of the designated border zone you will require a permit.
A Victorian resident of a border zone is authorised to enter and remain in NSW only for:
- Work
- education
- medical or health care
- or providing or receiving care to a vulnerable person
As a Victorian resident entering NSW on a border zone permit, you cannot travel further into NSW than your border zone
Additionally, you must not enter the NSW side of your border zone if you have travelled outside the Victorian side of the border zone within the past 14 days
If you wish to travel further into NSW you will need to either obtain a Critical Services permit (if eligible) to enter a Border Region, or alternately enter NSW via Sydney airport and quarantine for 14 days. This quarantine will be in a motel at your expense.
Further information for Border Zone residents can be found on the Service NSW website by clicking here
Victorian Residents Travelling within Victoria
As a Victorian resident, you DO NOT need a permit of any kind to travel within Victoria, however under stage 3 restrictions you are only able to travel within Victoria for essential travel and leave your house for the four reasons:
- To shop for food and essential goods or services
- To provide care, for compassionate reasons or to seek medical treatment
- To exercise
- For work or study, if you can’t do it from home
Additionally, you must not travel to metropolitan Melbourne under stage 4 restrictions, except to buy necessary goods and services, for care and compassionate reasons or permitted work and provided you comply with the Stage 4 restrictions.
Further information regarding the Stage 3 restrictions for Regional Victoria can be found here
Information for NSW Residents of a Border Zone
NSW border zone residents need a permit to get back into NSW once you have travelled into the Victorian side of the border zone.
Additionally, as a NSW resident you can only travel into the Victorian side of your designated border zone, with a permit for the following reasons.
- work,
- education,
- medical or health care,
- or providing or receiving care to a vulnerable person.
You cannot travel further into Victoria than the area within your border zone.
If you travel beyond your border zone in Victoria, you will be required to self-isolate for 14 days when you return.
If you are a resident of a remote NSW community, you can enter the approved Victoria towns (as listed above) for the following reasons
- work
- education
- to obtain medical care
- or supplies
- or to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
- to get goods and services
Further information can be found at Service NSW by clicking here
Border Zone Permits
If you are a resident in a border zone you can apply for a NSW border entry permit to cross the border into NSW, with certain conditions. You can apply for a permit here
Entry into NSW with a Permit
You must present your border entry permit and any supporting documents at the border checkpoint.
Even if you have a permit, under the latest order any non-NSW resident who is seen as a health risk may be refused entry into NSW.
For example, if anyone in the vehicle has visited a COVID-19 hotspot in Victoria within the past 14 days, all passengers may be refused entry into NSW.
Full details of the restrictions can be found on the Service NSW website by clicking here
Remote Community Residents
In addition to the services listed for people living in Border Zones, people living in or near Remote Communities can travel across the border for essential goods and services.
Those living in the following towns/ areas are eligible to cross the border with a permit as a Remote Community resident.
Please note, I have broken the below table down to areas that can access services within Murray Plains electorate, however the full list of exemptions can be found here
List of Eligible Remote Communities
Column 1 towns may cross the border to towns listed in Column 2
Column 1 Column 2
| Barmah | Barmah, Echuca |
| Bunnaloo | Echuca |
| Cunninyeuk | Swan Hill |
| Gonn | Swan Hill |
| Goodnight | Swan Hill, (Balranald) |
| Koondrook | Barham |
| Koraleigh | Robinvale, Swan Hill |
| Kyalite | Swan Hill, (Balranald) |
| Mallan | Swan Hill |
| Mathoura | Echuca |
| Mellool | Swan Hill |
| Moama | Echuca |
| Murray Downs | Swan Hill |
| Piangil | Robinvale, Swan Hill |
| Speewa | Swan Hill |
| Stony Crossing | Swan Hill |
| Tooleybuc | Robinvale, Swan Hill |
| Wamboota | Echuca |
Border Region
To enter a Border Region, you must have the appropriate permit from Service NSW.
As mentioned earlier, the ‘border region’ has been established to allow critical services workers with a Critical Services Worker permit, to travel in an area larger than the border zone, to provide their critical service. Their permit is not the same as the permit a resident living in the border zone requires.
To travel into or within a Border Region of NSW, you will need a Critical services Permit.
Critical services are defined as a person residing and providing a critical service in the border region, including:
- Commonwealth defence and security services
- maintenance and repair of critical infrastructure
- medical, hospital, dental or veterinary care
- COVID-19 environmental cleaning on a commercial basis that is not available locally
- mining
- energy
- agriculture
- construction or manufacturing (only frontline workers who are undertaking direct and essential operational activities to ensure major infrastructure and essential services are maintained and not interrupted).
Information regarding Critical Service Permits can be found here
The postcodes for areas located in the Border Region can be found below.
Please note, I have only listed the postcodes most relevant to the Murray Plains Electorate, a full list of Border Regions areas can be found here
Border Regions by Postcode in NSW
2710 – Deniliquin, Mathoura, Wakool, Conargo, Morago, Click here for more
2711- Carrathool, Booligal, Gunbar, Hay, Corrong, Waugorah, One Tree, Clare, Oxley, Maude, Keri Keri, Yanga, Hay South
2712- Berrigan, Boomanoomana
2713 – Finley, Logie Brae, Blighty, Myrtle Park
2714 – Tocumwal, Tuppal, Pine Lodge, Aratula
2715 – Mungo, Balranald, Kyalite, Arumpo, Hatfield
2717- Dareton, Coomealla
2731 – Moama, Bunnaloo, Womboota, Tantonan, Thyra
2732 – Barham, Burraboi, Tullakool, Noorong, Cobramunga, Gonn, Thule
2733 – Moulamein, Niemur, Dhuragoon
2734 – Stony Crossing, Mellool, Dilpurra, Moolpa, Murray Downs, Cunninyeuk, Wetuppa, Tooranie, Mallan
2735 – Koraleigh, Speewa
2736 – Tooleybuc, Goodnight
2737- Euston
2738 – Gol Gol, Monak, Trentham Cliffs, Paringi, Mallee
2739 – Buronga, Mourquong, Boeill Creek
2879 – Menindee, Sunset Strip
Border Regions by Postcode in Victoria
3490 – Ouyen, Murray-Sunset, Big Desert, Boinka, Tutye, Kulwin, Mittyack, Torrita
3494 -Nangiloc, Colignan, Carwarp, Iraak
3496 – Red Cliffs, Lindsay Point, Meringur, Werrimull, Cardross, Cullulleraine, Merrinee, Sunnycliffs, Neds Corner
3498- Irymple
3500- Mildura
3501 -Hattah, Nichols Point, Koorlong
3502- Mildura
3505 – Merbein, Yelta, Birdwoodton, Merbein South, Wargan, Merbein West, Cabarita
3549 – Robinvale, Wemen, Bannerton, Annuello, Liparoo, Tol Tol, Click here for more
3562 – Torrumbarry
3564 – Echuca, Wharparilla, Kanyapella, Bamawm Extension, Echuca West, Echuca Village, Patho, Roslynmead
3566 – Gunbower
3565 – Kotta
3567 – Leitchville, Horfield
3568 – Cohuna, Gannawarra, Wee Wee Rup, Burkes Bridge, click here for more
3579 – Kerang, Murrabit, Mystic Park, Macorna, Lake Meran click here for more
3580 – Koondrook
3581 – Lake Charm
3583 – Tresco
3584 – Lake Boga, Tresco West
3585- Swan Hill, Speewa, Nowie, Chillingollah, Kunat, Meatian, Click here for more
3586 – Pental Island, Tyntynder, Murrawee, Murraydale, Tyntynder South, Bulga
3588 – Woorinen South
3589- Woorinen, Woorinen North
3590 – Beverford
3591- Vinifera
3594- Nyah
3595 – Nyah West
3596 – Wood Wood, Miralie, Towan
3597- Piangil, Kooloonong, Natya, Narrung, Kenley, Lake Powell
3599- Boundary Bend
3621- Tongala, Kyvalley, Yambuna
3622- Koyuga, Strathallan
3637 – Waaia, Yalca
3638- Nathalia, Kotupna, Yielima
3639 – Barmah, Picola, Lower Moira, Picola West
3640 – Katunga
3641- Strathmerton, Bearii, Mywee, Ulupna
3644 – Barooga, Cobram, Koonoomoo, Yarroweyah, Muckatah, Cobram East, Lalalty
3649 – Katamatite, Katamatite East
3730 – Yarrawonga, Bundalong, Burramine, Bathumi, Esmond, Click here for more.
I also regulaly post COVID-19 updates on social media. To stay up to date you can follow me on Facebook
If you any additional questions please feel free to contact my office on 5482 2039 or email peter.walsh@parliament.vic.gov.au
Stay Safe
Peter