DEPUTY Premier John Barilaro is poised to take charge of solving the myriad of problems associated with his government's decision to close the NSW-Victoria border more than a month ago.
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The National Party state leader is expected to travel to Albury-Wodonga as early as next week to look into the economic carnage which has been inflicted from the initial July 7 decision to shut the border and subsequent changes to permit rules which have created more dramas.
"The No.1 priority of the NSW government is stopping the spread of COVID-19 in NSW and protecting the health and safety of all of our communities," a spokesperson for Mr Barilaro said.
"However, the Deputy Premier is aware there are a number issues facing border communities as a result of the border closure.
"The Deputy Premier has been briefed regularly, has met with local officials and will visit the region shortly."
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Mr Barilaro is the Regional NSW portfolio holder and on a visit to Wodonga on Friday, his Victorian counterpart Jaclyn Symes revealed her frustration with the Berejiklian government.
"I've had productive conversations with the NSW government through the agriculture minister (Adam Marshall)," she said.
"But I wouldn't say I've had a great relationship or indeed ability to have good conversations with other ministers who would be relevant."
She cited one example of a formal approach made to Mr Barilaro leaving her deflated.
"He referred my correspondence to the health minister, the health minister referred that correspondence to his department, who generated a fairly standard response to me," Ms Symes said.
"That is not generally how governments interact with one another.
"If a minister writes to me I certainly take the time to reply to them."
The NSW government has regularly cited the high number of coronavirus cases in Victoria to justify shutting the border.
Ms Symes said she was "really optimistic thing are trending the right way" following the imposition of stage four restrictions in Melbourne.
"I respect the right of the NSW government to put a border restriction in place," she said.
"But it's this continual tightening which seems to be a disproportionate response to the health risk.
"We know there are not a lot of confirmed COVID cases in this region and the movements of Victorians are already tight."
Earlier on Friday, Ms Berejiklian told the Today Show any issues relating to the NSW-Queensland border were a "million times easier" than the NSW-Victoria border.
"When you have a border closure it affects so many people you don't intend to affect and for the people on our southern borders can I apologise for any angst that we have caused you," she said.
"Can I say managing the Queensland-NSW border is a million times easier than managing the Victorian-NSW border.
"The Victorian-NSW border has 55 different crossings. Queensland-NSW is far easier to manage.
"I am sure we could sort it out if I had that opportunity."
Also on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke with Ms Berejiklian about the NSW-Victoria border issues.
The initial decision to shut the border was jointly agreed to by the federal government and NSW and Victoria.
"I had a discussion with the NSW Premier earlier today about this, and a very positive discussion, and I know that the Premier is very aware of the sorts of issues that you are talking about, particularly in border towns as they relate to accessing medical services from those areas, as well as agricultural workforce issues, shearers needing to get in," Mr Morrison said.
"Now, one area that we are going to have to address, given the way the pandemic continues to, who knows where we will be in November or December of this year.
"But you know that during bushfire season, we have to move bushfire fighters between jurisdictions.
"There are ADF movements that occur across jurisdictions.
"There are a range of quite complicated issues that could be experienced if those issues aren't resolved.
"Look, I'm sure we can resolve them, I'm very mindful of them and I will seek to ensure that the states work together to resolve some of these problems that have come about as a result of those borders."