Deniliquin kicked out of Victorian Government ‘bubble’

A small town in NSW has been kicked out of the Victorian “bubble” connecting it to the only essential services within a two-hour drive.

Edward River Council mayor Norm Brennan says his town should not have been removed from the Victorian border.

A small country town in NSW is reeling after being cut from the Victorian Government’s “bubble”.

Deniliquin, 45 minutes from Echuca, was removed from the Victorian Government’s border bubble from 11.59pm on Thursday.

It means anyone living in Edward River Council, Deniliquin’s local government area, will no longer be eligible for a cross-border permit to enter Victoria or return from NSW.

But mayor Norm Brennan said it also meant his people now faced a two and a half-hour drive to access essential medical services.

He said the decision was dangerous and unnecessary given the town had never recorded a Covid case.

“We are at a loss to understand how this decision was made,” Cr Brennan said.

“We have no major highways in our LGA – we do not get a large amount of through traffic from anywhere and our community absolutely relies on access to Victoria for essential services including but not limited to health and education.”

Deniliquin has a population of almost 7000 people and is home to the iconic Deni Ute Muster which was recently cancelled. The town says losing its yet another blow.

The closest the NSW town has come to recording a Covid case is in Echuca, on the Victorian side of the border.

Cr Brennan said many people who lived in Victoria, work in Deniliquin. And since the town’s Target, its only major clothing outlet, closed people would need to drive almost three hours to buy underwear.

“We present no risk to Victoria, in fact our residents take the risk by travelling to Victoria for essential services,” Cr Brennan said.

“Our residents are often forced out of town to buy a pair of undies. That‘s what we’re talking about – this decision makes no sense.”

It is yet another blow for the already struggling town which lost its biggest economic driver when the iconic country music festival, the Deni Ute Muster, was cancelled — a casualty in the war against Covid.

Mr Brennan said the decision to cut it off from Victoria would also impact medical appointments and schooling.

“We are 45 minutes from Echuca. Our nearest NSW town with adequate facilities is nearly two and a half hours away,” he said.

“That is certainly not ideal for serious medical concerns (Deniliquin has a hospital but its services are limited).

“We have many children who attend school in Victoria as well. Those kids have done it tough enough in the last 18 months without this to add to their worries.”

Six Victorian LGAs including the City of Benalla, Greater Bendigo, Greater Shepparton, Buloke, Loddon and Yarriambiack were also removed from the border bubble.

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