Calls to ease SA-Victoria border restrictions after NT plans

Those affected by a border bubble are pleading for eased restrictions after the NT announced plans to open its borders to most of regional Vic.

MP for MacKillop Nick McBride says South Australia has done a good job of managing the virus, but it is time to broaden the focus. Picture: Tom Huntley

South Australia risks alienating Victorian people and businesses if it does not keep up with the reopening timelines of other states, border communities say.

Those affected by the 40-kilometre border bubble are calling for eased restrictions after the Northern Territory on Monday announced plans to open its borders to most of regional Victoria at the beginning of November.

Currently, Victorians living within the 40km zone are allowed into the state only for essential purposes.

They must have completed a registration form and returned a negative COVID-19 test in the past seven days.

Nick McBride, Liberal MP for MacKillop – the electorate that covers border towns including Naracoorte, Bordertown and Penola – said it was time for those rules to be revised.

He said news of Northern Territory’s reopening would leave Victorian residents wondering: “Why isn’t South Australia able to re-engage with us when Northern Territory’s willing to?”

“What it does is it adds to the angst and the concern and the frustration,” he said.

“If we don’t act, at least in partnership with the Northern Territory, and show some sort of leniency towards our border controls … that will further turn away our Victorian neighbours and business people and colleagues there.”

Australian Army soldiers have been part of efforts to patrol borders, but there are growing calls to rethink restrictions for cross-border communities. File photo.

Mr McBride said South Australia had done a good job managing the virus, but it was now time to broaden the focus.

“Now that we’ve done well (managing the virus), what can we do well in turning our economic fortune around and re-engaging with business and opening up our economy as fast as we can?” he said.

Mr McBride said he held concerns Adelaide-based decision makers lacked knowledge of the way regions functioned, particularly in terms of the cross-border community.

“The community has engaged well and they haven’t broken the rules,” he said.

“Testing has all proven to be negative. They’ve been tested to death.

“We’re hoping that we get a better understanding and representation than we’ve seen so far.”

However, a state government spokesperson maintained border restrictions would lift as soon as health advice allowed.

“We have said from the beginning of the pandemic that we don’t want any restrictions to stay in place a day longer than they need to,” a statement read.

“The safety of South Australians is our first priority and we will continue to follow the health advice when it comes to opening up our border with Victoria.”

One of those affected by the restrictions is Stacey McBain, who lives near the Victorian town of Apsley, about a 9km drive across the border.

Ms McBain, who works as a real estate agent at Naracoorte, travels through a border checkpoint every day for work and is required to have a COVID test every seven days.

“We do everything in Naracoorte and we always have,” she said.

“Given that we’ve grown up and lived most of our lives in Naracoorte, all our services are there.”

She has also not been allowed to visit relatives in the town and has put off medical appointments in Adelaide.

Ms McBain said she has now had 11 COVID tests and, while she understands the need to protect the community, it was disappointing to hear South Australia was lagging behind other jurisdictions.

“It is frustrating to hear that other borders are opening … I can’t even see my family at all,” she said.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the Northern Territory was set to revoke its coronavirus hotspot declaration for most of regional Victoria from November 2.

He said all but four council areas would be struck off the hotspot list, meaning people living in those regions will be able to travel to the Territory without undergoing mandatory quarantine.

However, he said the plan would only eventuate if those areas “keep progressing well” in terms of coronavirus case numbers.

South Australia’s COVID transition committee is due to meet on Tuesday.