Fruit fly inspector gives insight to checks on the border in the past amid NSW-Victorian border shutdown due to coronavirus

That's the view of Wodonga retiree Norm Jones, who was the state supervisor for fruit fly inspection points which operated across Victoria from 1958 to 1980.

During that period Twin Cities residents put stickers on their car windscreens which allowed them to travel straight through inspection stations for those carrying fruit into Victoria.

"I'd advise them (NSW authorities) to try and instigate a road block pass or sticker on the vehicle, so police won't have to stop everyone going to and from work," Mr Jones said.

Bright yellow, red and orange stickers became easy to spot for sharp-eyed fruit fly inspectors.

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However, by 1980 the traffic volumes were increasing and fruit fly inspections, which had already been halted for winter months, were becoming trickier to undertake.

"It was becoming quite difficult to handle the traffic flow," Mr Jones said.

"We would have needed additional staff, needed to improve the road surfaces and had more room to handle more traffic."

At peaks, such as Easter, the Albury Show and school holidays, there were up to 10 inspectors at the around-the-clock checkpoint near the former butter factory on the Lincoln Causeway.

Hundreds of tonnes of fruit each week was confiscated and pulverised by Department of Agriculture staff.

Mr Jones also oversaw mobile patrols at less busy border bridges, from Cobram to Jingellic, with protected game a search target too.