The federal Senate has made an urgent call to National Cabinet, states and territories to create "fair and proportionate protocols" to allow people to cross state borders again.
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Wodonga-based Senator Bridget McKenzie moved the motion in Parliament this week on behalf of the Nationals, calling for state governments to "adopt a risk-based health approach based on clear definitions of COVID-19 hotspots".
They wanted essential travel to be allowed within border communities for employment, particularly within the agricultural supply chain, education, particularly for year 12 students, and health purposes.
In passing the motion 27-22, the Senate took the position that border restrictions "have negatively impacted the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of regional Australians who live and work across border communities".
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In comments made after the Senate adjourned, Senator McKenzie said states needed to take border community concerns seriously.
"Protecting the health of the Australian community is the number one priority but because of city-centric parochialism many of our farms are at a standstill and businesses are being forced to shut without the medical evidence to justify border closures," she said.
"There now needs to be a standard approach to inbound quarantine with stringent checks, and equivalent processing systems that will give confidence as we learn to live with the virus.
"After months of immense emotional pressure and unfair economic restrictions, COVID-19 free regional Australians need a plan."
