Albury-Wodonga residents have been put on notice to expect lengthy delays once again at border checkpoints which were due to be reinstated at midnight.
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The checkpoints are expected to be established on the southern side of the border including the Lincoln Causeway with more than 700 Victoria Police personnel and potentially Australian Defence Force back-up.
Police and ADF personnel worked side-by-side when the NSW government shut the border in July.
"I warn everybody who intends to cross the border, particularly from midnight tonight, there will be queues," Victoria's COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said.
"As we set up checkpoints from midnight people should expect significant delays caused by people returning to Victoria.
"Please allow extra time, make sure you have water with you, make sure you have your paperwork in place so we can expedite the actual process to safeguard the whole Victorian community."
The exact locations of the border checkpoints remained a mystery at 8pm on Sunday.
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A Wodonga Council spokesperson said it had not been notified of the sites.
The biggest difference between the two border closure for local residents will be the non-requirement of permits for border residents who just need to show their driver's licence to cross the border.
Member for Benambra Bill Tilley said a second closure was unfortunately necessary.
"Clearly people in Sydney are headed for a very restricted Christmas and so this border closure will hopefully preserve our Christmas in the North-East," he said.
"There will be issues at border crossings but the licence idea at least allows our communities greater freedoms.
"I think we have to learn from this.
"COVID-19 is a constant threat and we need to live with it, know how to protect ourselves.
"The number of people being tested here on the border has risen and anecdotally we understand many are Sydneysiders back here for holidays and in our community."
