NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has doubled down on her concerns about coronavirus seeping into her state despite changes allowing farmers and other agriculture sector workers being able to resume interstate travel from as early as Tuesday.
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The agricultural industry was blindsided by the most recent tightening of border closure restrictions which meant those wanting to travel into NSW had to do so via Sydney and undergo a 14-day quarantine period.
But permits enabling industry workers such as landowners, shearers, agronomists and meatworks employees to travel 100km into NSW are awaiting final sign-off from health minister, Brad Hazzard.
Beechworth's Josh Gale is one of 24 employees from Corowa-based Rivalea piggery presently prevented from working due to the most recent permit changes made nearly a fortnight ago.
"My work is hours from Sydney," the father of three children aged 16, 13 and eight, said.
"If this drags on I'm going to have to use my long service leave and other entitlements.
"I've still got my job, but I just can't get to work.
"It's really frustrating because I've just put a deposit down for a block of land.
"It would be different if the NSW government was kicking up because there was coronavirus in Beechworth, but there is nothing here."
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote to Ms Berejiklian and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday requesting they lift restrictions on essential economic workers such as farmers.
Ms Berejiklian said on Monday she didn't have sufficient faith in the rate of community transmission of COVID-19 in regional Victoria being at the required level.
"I know our border communities are suffering," she said..
"I would rather have the blame of being too harsh than too soft.
"The last thing we want is for the disease to get into regional NSW.
"But if there are safe ways we can do things then we will.
"It is a difficult balancing act. We're still worried because there could still be unknown sources in the community."
The anticipated changes will require another amendment to the NSW Public Health Order.
The execution and lack of explanation of previous changes have angered border communities including Albury-Wodonga where there has been zero coronavirus cases since the initial border closure was put in place six weeks ago.
