Towong mayor David Wortmann can see NSW from his house with his own eyes, living just 500 metres from the river, but has not been deemed eligible for a permit to cross the border.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
His case of Granya and the 3701 postcode being left off the list is just one of the anomalies being faced by North East communities following the border closure.
Mayors from Towong, Albury, Wodonga, Wangaratta and Indigo had a virtual meeting with cross-border commissioner James McTavish on Thursday, convened by Indi MP Helen Haines.
They hoped some of the permit issues would be fixed before the weekend before police stop showing discretion to Border residents.
About a dozen of Granya's 70 residents work full time in Albury.
The issue was raised with Mr McTavish and the NSW government.
"They said they were working on it, they know there's a problem," Cr Wortmann said.
"We're in a dire situation and they're doing their best."
IN OTHER NEWS:
He said Towong's main push was for the bridges into NSW to be reopened - even just in daylight hours - and the Wymah Ferry operating again, which were taken on board.
Beechworth and Yackandandah residents have also been frustrated at not being able to get a border permit, despite living within 50 kilometres of the state line.
Indigo mayor Jenny O'Connor said even though the towns do not sit geographically on the border, they are still part of the wider Border community.
"There are a lot of people who go to Albury for work, there are kids that go to school there and our own staff are in and out across the border. We share services with Towong and some of that involves driving in and out across the border, sometimes multiple times a day," she said.
"It's been confusing and messy, but we just have to understand that in this time of pandemic that is how things work. You have a sudden quick reaction to something and then the detail gets sorted out later.
"We've just all got to be a bit understanding about that."
Wangaratta falls outside the 50-kilometre border bubble, which mayor Dean Rees said has been problematic for businesses that split their time between Wangaratta and Albury - some have had to close offices on the Victorian side because staff would not be able to return to NSW without having to isolate for two weeks.
"They do need to look at a different permit system in regards to businesses," he said.
He said it would make sense for the border to be pushed north of Albury, because more people come into Albury from North East Victoria, but others were against that idea.
Cr Rees supported an extension of the border bubble to 100 kilometres.
