Dear Editor,
Border closures continue to have a massive impact on families, businesses and communities.
As a resident of a Murray River community, I understand well how much we rely on our interstate neighbours – and them us.
Victorian Nationals MPs have been working constructively with our interstate counterparts to help individuals and businesses through the closures.
We’re all prepared to do our bit to stop the spread of this deadly virus, but in some cases there’s a safe, workable solution to help border communities go about daily life.
This includes securing agreement to reopen bridges at Tooleybuc, Gonn, Nyah, Murrabit and Barmah.
Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy worked on behalf of his community to get doctors and nurses back to work at North East Health in Wangaratta after changed restrictions stopped 80 staff from crossing the border.
We’ve also delivered certainty for families with a daily bus service for children in NSW to get to class in Victoria and ensured NSW restrictions don’t stop Victorian residents fishing from the banks of the Murray River.
There’s still more work to be done.
Victoria’s freight sector is grinding to a halt as a result of confusing advice on testing and isolation that’s seeing some trucks turned back at the border.
And although we’ve made progress on seasonal worker bans, we’ll keep working to find a solution that will protect public health while ensuring our farmers can get the workers they need for this year’s harvest.
The Nationals will keep standing up for our regional communities on the issues that matter as we work together through this crisis.
Peter Walsh
Leader of The Nationals
Shadow Minister for Agriculture
Shadow Minister for Regional Victoria and Decentralisation