SA-Victoria cross border community frustrated by ‘rash decisions’ and constant changes

Rash decisions and constant changes have thrown the lives of the “forgotten” cross border community into chaos since the SA-Victoria border slammed shut on Friday.

SA Police at the border checkpoint between South Australia and Victoria near Mt Gambier, Friday February 12, 2021. Picture: Frank Monger

For residents on living on the South Australia-Victoria border the past five days have been plagued by constant rule changes after the announcement of a hard border closure.

In the latest announcements cross border community members are no longer required to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing and the border will open to regional Victoria tomorrow if its statewide lockdown is lifted as planned.

The removal of testing requirements comes after reports of three hour wait at the Mount Gambier Showgrounds COVID-19 testing clinic yesterday.

750 people presented for testing between Saturday and Monday with a total of almost 1500 for the week according to Limestone Coast Local Health Network Chief Executive Officer, Ngaire Buchanan.

“The higher numbers of testing represent interstate travellers arriving in South Australia and requiring testing on day 1, 5 and 12 following updates to cross border directions,” Ms Buchanan said.

“We would like to thank members of the community for following health advice and getting tested to help stop the spread.”

Alicia Smith-Young was ecstatic asymptomatic testing had come to an end but was frustrated by the continuous changes.

Alicia Smith-Young and her son Kobe Field are ecstatic they will not have to be COVID tested to cross the Victoria-South Australia border during its current closure. Picture: Alicia Smith-Young

Living in Portland, the mum regularly drops her six year old son Kobe Field a few minutes over the border to reunite his father from Millicent.

Ms Smith-Young said she had done 11 tests during last year’s border restrictions and had been dreading the return of regular testing.

“Having it done so many times, all I’ve had problems with now is massive sinus infections and I’ve had pneumonia twice,” she said.

Despite describing the testing as traumatic she was willing to do it so Kobe – who has show progressive signs of depression and wanting to self-harm – could see his father after they were separated by border restrictions for 16 weeks in 2020.

Pre-empting the closure, Ms Smith-Young rushed him the border on Friday.

“I didn’t know if that meant that now it was my turn, that I would have to miss out on seeing my son to 16 weeks or more, because they don’t think the children in this circumstance,” she said.

The initial SA Police directions did not specifically exempt children under 16 from testing, adding to Ms Smith-Young’s concerns.

“How many little kids was subjected to that before they were told ‘oh no it’s okay you guys actually don’t need to’,” she said.

“The people who make these decisions so need to come down and live a week in our lives when they make these harsh rash decisions.”

The changes follow hours of confusion and chaos ahead of the closure coming into force at midnight Friday.

Annoyed locals expressed their anger at the “ridiculous” five-day lockdown ordered for the entire state of Victoria by its Premier Daniel Andrews.

Cross Border Call-Out founder Paula Gust. Picture: Supplied

“These extreme measures that both premiers take, we’re the ones that suffer, we’re in the middle of it,” said Paula Gust, founder of the Facebook support page Cross Border Call-Out.

“People are so frustrated and angry about this again that I wouldn’t be surprised if there was noncompliance.”

Leanne Henke lives just 2km over the border and can drive a back road into SA without ever passing a checkpoint.

As the chef prepped for the dinner shift at Thyme at The Lakes in Mount Gambier on Friday, she was unsure whether she would be allowed to travel from home to work or if she would be forced to sleep on her boss’ couch.

“I am preparing for the worst,” Ms Henke said.

Leanne Henke is a chef at Thyme at The Lakes in Mount Gambier and lives less than 2km over the SA-Victorian border. Picture: Jessica Ball

“I’ll finish work at 9.30 or 10pm, then I’ll go home and get clothes if I feel that I’m going to be stuck. I should be right but it is living in that uncertainty every single time there’s a lockdown, there needs to be more clarity from both governments.

“We get forgotten every single time. It’s like ‘oh, that’s right, we do have cross border members’.

“Yes, we actually do and they are essential to your town.”

Ms Henke said she was optimistic she would be classified as an essential worker, but had been forced to move into Mount Gambier during a previous border shutdown.