NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has publicly acknowledged the hostility from Albury-Wodonga residents and other border communities towards her government, but has no short-term plans to ease measures in place.
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"People are angry with me because I am being too tough and they would like to see restrictions eased," she said.
"But we are having to be tough on the borders because of the situation that faces us."
As pressure continues for further changes to the permit arrangements in place following the toughening of border closures more than a fortnight ago, Ms Berejiklian said her government would be monitoring closely the impacts of return to stage three restrictions in Wodonga and other parts of regional Victoria and a stage four shutdown in Melbourne.
Late last week, Corowa-based doctors were given the green light to travel to Rutherglen without the need to self-isolate for 14 days on their return, but Rutherglen, Tallangatta, Yackandandah and Beechworth remain outside the stricter border bubble despite protests from community leaders.
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The blue zone still doesn't include the entire North Barnawartha saleyards and the nearby Logic industrial hub.
The North Barnawartha Hungry Jacks restaurant has temporarily closed.
Ms Berejiklian said the success of tougher restrictions in Victoria imposed by Premier Daniel Andrews would guide her next steps on border closures.
"When Victorians themselves can't be mobile it obviously helps our job in reducing the number of people who are likely to try and get across the border," she said.
"No matter how tough you are, borders are not impenetrable and people need to remember that.
"Unfortunately there are a number of people who might try and do the wrong thing and that has been an issue across the nation.
"If you ask the border communities they think I'm being too tough.
"I don't think we are being too tough, I think our response is adequate, but if we need to do more we will.
"We will know in the next few days what the (traffic) flow is like as a consequence of the shutdown in Melbourne which will have a positive impact on the way we can manage the virus here in NSW."
