Coronavirus border rules: Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Queensland

Rules for cross-border communities in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland widely differ. Here’s what border communities, farmers, truck drivers and others affected need to know.

Coronavirus checkpoint: Police check border permits at the South Australian border, near Pinnaroo. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

NSW, Queensland and South Australia have introduced a confusing mix of constantly changing set of cross-border rules for those living in border zones.

Here’s what we know to date.

NEW SOUTH WALES – CROSS-BORDER COMMUNITIES

FROM VICTORIA TO NSW

If you are a resident in a border zone, you can apply for a NSW border entry permit to cross the border into NSW, with certain conditions.

• A border zone resident who is a Victorian resident is authorised to enter and remain in NSW only for work, education, medical or health care, or providing or receiving care to a vulnerable person, and

• Must not travel to any part of NSW that is outside of the border zone and

• Must not enter NSW if they have travelled in Victoria outside the border zone within the previous 14 days.

NSW-Victorian cross-border community zone.

CRITICAL SERVICE WORKERS

If you live in a border region and are providing a critical service in the border region, you can apply for a NSW border entry permit to cross the border into NSW, with certain conditions.

Under the public health order, critical services include:

• Movement of freight on a commercial basis

• Movement of persons on a commercial basis

• Medical, hospital, dental or veterinary care

• Commonwealth defence and security services

• Agriculture, mining, construction, energy or manufacturing

• Environmental cleaning and disinfection in a workplace or other non-residential premises to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on a commercial basis that is not available locally.

MORE

NSW ANNOUNCES AGRICULTURE PERMIT

VICTORIAN STAGE 3 RESTRICTIONS EXPLAINED

SOUTH AUSTRALIA – CROSS-BORDER COMMUNITIES

FROM VICTORIA TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA

From 12:01am Friday, August 21, the only cross-border community member who can travel from Victoria into South Australia will be:

• Agricultural and farming workers with properties within 40km of the border.

• Students completing years 11 and 12 (and those providing transport to and from school).

You must have had a COVID-19 test within last 7 days.

If you are entering from Victoria you cannot travel further than 40km over the border into South Australia.

Anyone wishing to enter South Australia from Victoria under another category of “essential traveller” will need to complete a new cross border travel registration form.

ESSENTIAL TRAVELLERS

Persons wishing to enter South Australia from Victoria may reapply under another category if applicable, including:

• National and State Security and Governance;

• Emergency Services (SA Health approved);

• Freight and Transport;

• Urgent Medical, Dental, Health (SA Health approved);

• Compassionate grounds (SA Health approved);

• Specialist workers in Essential Sectors (includes Primary Industries and Agriculture).

FROM NSW TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Cross-border community residents from NSW can enter within 50km for essential travel activities.

No self-quarantine is required, unless you have travelled more than 50 km into NSW, then you must self-quarantine for 14 days.

No mask is required but you must have had a COVID-19 test within last 7 days.

If you are entering from NSW you cannot travel further than 50 kilometres over the border into South Australia.

QUEENSLAND

You need to apply for a Queensland Border Declaration Pass to enter Queensland. A pass does not guarantee entry into Queensland as this is determined by an Emergency Officer at the border checkpoint in accordance with the current published public health directions of the Chief Health Officer.

There are four border-pass options:

GENERAL – you are returning to or travelling to Queensland and have not been in a COVID-19 declared hotspot in the previous 14 days.

ESSENTIAL ACTIVITY – you are entering Queensland to perform an essential activity (other than transport, freight, and logistics).

BORDER ZONE RESIDENT – you are an alternate border zone resident permitted to travel across the border within the identified border zone.

FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS – you are providing essential freight and logistics transport.

Anyone who has been in a COVID-19 declared hotspot in the previous 14 days cannot enter Queensland. Few exemptions and tough penalties apply.

Queensland NSW cross-border community zone (excluding far east).

Queensland NSW eastern cross-border community zone.