Glaring omissions from the original blue zone in Wodonga have been rectified with the NSW government updating its map yesterday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Residents who live in Killara's Riverside estate and on southern side of Streets Road in Leneva were added to the community zone which means they can successfully apply for the updated permit to travel to Albury for employment, health and education reasons.
Bonegilla and Ebden were also added.
But some residential areas on Huon Creek Road and Castle Creek still missed out and joined outlying towns including Rutherglen, Barnawartha, Chiltern, Beechworth and Yackandandah from being unable to access permits.
"We are pleased the NSW Government has responded and acted to update the map to include those areas of our municipality that had been initially excluded," Wodonga Council chief executive Mark Dixon said..
"However, we note there is still some anomalies to be rectified and are following them up with the relevant authorities.
"We acknowledge impacts remain for our wider region and continue to raise issues with the cross-border commissioners daily."
IN OTHER NEWS
On the NSW side, Bungowannah was initially excluded from the blue zone, but has been included in the updated mapping.
"The critical services exemption allows some from outside the border community zone to cross the border for work, but one of the real challenges with it is the requirement to self-isolate," member for Albury Justin Clancy said.
"This impacts on family and daily life and is one of the significant issues that I am currently advocating on."
Meanwhile, visiting Centrelink and Medicare offices in Albury still doesn't fall into the permit criteria for Wodonga residents to cross the border.
"If a Victorian resident with a permit to enter NSW did try and access the Albury Service Centre, they would be turned away to comply with NSW government restrictions," Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said.
"We are currently reviewing the servicing arrangements for the people of Wodonga, however, people can do most of their Centrelink and Medicare business online or over the phone and we encourage everyone to use these channels wherever possible.
"This includes reporting income, uploading documents, claiming payments, managing appointments, changing address or bank account details and many other common transactions."
The Victorian government confirmed residents who fell outside the blue zone would be eligible for financial support if they met strict criteria.
A one-off payment of $1500 is available to workers who are unable to work during their isolation, have no income during this period, and are not entitled to any paid sick leave, special pandemic leave or other income support.
The government extend the scheme to ensure that as soon as a person is tested, they will be eligible for a $300 payment as long as they meet the eligibility of the existing scheme.
