SA-Victoria cross border community demands end of COVID-19 hard border closure

The end of the SA lockdown has ignited calls for the end of hard border closure, as frustration bubbles over for the SA-Victorian cross-border community.

Nelson Kiosk and Post Office operators Andrea Winfield and Paul Singleton live on the SA side of the border, and work on the Victorian side. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Confusion continues for the border community as Premier Steven Marshall announced the end of South Australia’s lockdown just hours after Victoria’s hard border closure came into force.

Nelson Kiosk and Post Office operators Paul Singelton and Andrea Winfield were among a number of South Australians who packed their bags when news of the strict closure came through.

The State Government announced on Friday the state’s “circuit breaker” lockdown restrictions would be lifted at midnight on Saturday, three days early.

Less than 24 hours after fleeing their home in Donovans to keep their Victorian business alive, the border community member did not mince his words.

“Adelaide has stuffed up,” Mr Singelton said.

“It’s a complete comedy of errors.

“The whole state locked down for three days for no real apparent reason just because they assumed someone was telling them the truth.”

Nelson Kiosk and Post Office operators Andrea Winfield and Paul Singleton live on the SA side of the border, and work on the Victorian side. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Mr Singelton, who was required to have 14 COVID tests to continue his day-to-day life on the border, said the State Government only had itself to blame for the Parafield outbreak.

He said it was a mistake to focus testing resources on cross border communities and not front line workers and medi-hotel staff.

“It’s just disgraceful that they would focus so much of their energy on us and treat us so poorly, and yet cleaners and workers in medi-hotels and police on the borders that come from Adelaide hot spots aren’t being tested,” he said.

“We were treated like pariahs, we were treated like lepers, we were treated like a second class citizens for four months.

“Tens of thousands of tests were done, not one come back positive from the border community.

“That is persecution, we feel persecuted, especially when they can’t even clean up their own backyard and their medi-hotels.”

While medi-hotel staff were not previously required to be regularly tested for COVID-19, they will now undergo more frequent testing.

“There’s no evidence of a breach of protocols at these places,” SA Health Minister Stephen Wade told the ABC on Tuesday morning.

“Routine testing has been available at medi-hotels on an ongoing basis and there are daily declarations of symptoms by medi-hotel workers.

“But regular seven-day testing has been introduced at the medi-hotels.”

Mr Singelton said there was no Victorian Police presence at the Nelson checkpoint until 7 hours into the 48-hour hard border closure, which was announced in reaction to the South Australian outbreak.

“Even after they were on the Victorian side they weren’t stopping anyone from coming into Victoria,” he said.

“The main thing is it’s very confusing and it’s creating serious angst in the community when there’s just no need.

“They’re literally making these rules up and repealing them a day later, it’s ridiculous.”

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews’ announcement came just days after the cross border community celebrated a date being set for its reopening.

Mr Singelton said the politicians making decisions had no idea what life was like on the border.

The reopening of the border is now Victoria’s hands.