The impasse halting easy passage for farmers and agriculture workers has ended and given long-suffering, COVID-free border communities another major victory.
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Attention now turns to Sunday and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to deliver a way out of stage three, stay at home restrictions for the North-East and other parts of regional Victoria.
Farmers will soon be able to begin moving machinery into place either side of the NSW-Victoria border ahead of harvest after an agriculture workers code was ticked off by National Cabinet on Friday.
South Australia, the ACT and Northern Territory have also signed up to the code put forward by Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.
The code includes workers crossing the border needing a valid permit, proof of identity and residence, work being permitted under the code and a COVID-safe workplan including carrying PPE.
It's expected the new permit will be available within two weeks.
The breakthrough for agriculture workers was warmly welcomed by Corowa farmer Derek Schoen.
"It is very timely because we are coming onto spring shearing, a start on hay shortly and following that will be harvest," he said.
"Hopefully now we can move forward without too much disruption.
"It's been a good news week."
Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said the code adoption was a huge win for farming groups and their constituents who have been fighting for freight-type exemptions for agricultural workers.
"I've been talking to farmers and industry around the clock lately about the incredibly distressing decisions they've been forced make," he said.
"We've had farmers who couldn't access their properties interstate to do basic jobs such as check water, wean calves and mark lambs.
"Our sector has experienced enormous interruption and uncertainty in recent times which was completely unsustainable."
Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes said her state was firmly on board with the agriculture code.
"I also thank the farmers and ag workers who got in touch with their stories," she said on social media.
"It has has been invaluable.
"The impact of your stories have gotten us to this hard-fought for outcome."
NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the code was spearheaded by his state and was a crucial step in allowing for free and safe movement of farmers across borders.
"Agriculture underpins our country," he said.
"Our farmers feed and clothe the nation and as many parts of Australia enter recovery from drought our leaders should be doing everything possible to support the industry.
"Unfortunately this bar has not been met by the other states (Queensland and Western Australia) who failed to sign up to the National Agricultural Workers Code.
"What we have seen today is an abject failure of leadership from those first ministers.
"Politics has been allowed to trump commonsense and our nation's agricultural industry has been grossly let down as a result."
Meanwhile, member for Benambra Bill Tilley said Mr Andrews' announcement on the road map out of stage three for regional area post September 13 must hit the mark.
"Let's plan a way out of here and that starts with certainty for businesses, getting kids back to school and community and grassroots sport," he said.
"This region has seen a single cluster of Melbourne-acquired, COVID-cases affecting a NSW family since March.
"We hold hope that there is a vaccine, but it's some way off.
"We need to live and work in a new COVID-normal world, but please, no more shutdowns with next to no cases."
