Crisis talks held over possible lockdown extension in regional NSW

Millions of NSW residents are facing a nervous wait, with crisis talks held today expected to determine if the regional lockdown should be extended.

Regional MPs expect lockdowns across country NSW to be extended but are hoping for some reprieve.

Crisis talks have been held on Wednesday afternoon to decide whether to extend stay-at-home orders in the regions for a third time.

The regional lockdown was set to expire on August 28 but Covid-19 infections continue to be detected outside of Sydney, particularly in the state’s central and far west.

Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders expects the lockdown to be extended for at least a few more weeks.

“Certainly for my area there’s no way we’re coming out. There’s no expectation in the western or central western region that we’d be coming out of stay at home orders,” he said.

Almost 300 people in his region had now been diagnosed with the virus.

The Nationals MP said he would be surprised if the lockdown was lifted at this stage in other rural areas, even those with no cases, because of the strong ties between communities spread across hundreds of kilometres.

Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders speaks to the media after a snap lockdown was announced on August 11. Picture: Ryan Young

“It gets quite complicated. If you look at Dubbo, for example, we’re sort of the capital of western NSW. If you look at Bourke, which is four hours away, people still come here quite regularly,” he said.

“I think most of them realise you can’t necessarily take one LGA [at a time].”

But Mr Dugald doesn’t expect the regions to be in lockdown for as long as Sydney, which has had its stay-at-home orders extended again until the end of September.

Tweed MP Geoff Provest said residents living near the state’s north coast were being devastated by the regional lockdown and by Queensland’s hard border with NSW.

“I’m just really concerned. With the outbreaks out west and the growing number of clusters. A lot of frustration in my area is we’ve not had a case since the beginning of the pandemic full stop,” he said.

“Sydney’s been told their lockdown is until the end of September. We don’t want that.”

Mr Provest is among a multi-partisan group of MPs in the Northern Rivers region of NSW calling for a “cross border community zone” to be trialled in Tweed, which would allow locals to cross into Queensland.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday that many regional areas were “settling and stabilising” but the state’s west remained a concern.

Her deputy, John Barilaro, issued an urgent plea to those in western NSW after revealing there were 36 new cases in the area, which included 14 in the far west.

“Today I want to call out in relation to vaccine in the regions, we want to keep vaccine rates high. Want to keep up with what is occurring in Sydney and ensure we have access points in areas in regional and rural NSW that are falling behind,” he said.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro will hold a crisis meeting on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Fragments of Covid-19 had also been detected at a sewage treatment plant in Cobar, with residents urged to monitor for symptoms.

Speaking to local media on Tuesday night, Mr Barilaro said it would be made clear at the meeting what was required for certain local government areas to be freed of lockdown measures, taking into account case numbers and sewage surveillance.

But whatever the government decided needed to be a “long term” plan, he said.

“My view would be whatever we decide on for the announcement for post-this weekend needs to be long term, you can't go week by week,” Mr Barilaro said.

“I’ve never been a fan of week by week and I was confident we could get out of this in the first seven days and it’s not the case.”

There were concerns for western NSW. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

The deputy premier said it was essential to “be upfront” so businesses in the region could prepare.

He also flagged the possibility of putting more restrictions on Sydney-based construction workers so they cannot travel to the regions and spread the virus.

Seven cases have been confirmed in Orange. Six of those were linked to Sydney construction workers but one remains unlinked.

NSW recorded 919 cases and two deaths on Wednesday.