Victoria border closure checkpoints being implemented today

The Victorian government issued advice that from midnight on December 18, anyone trying to enter Victoria from the Northern Beaches and other NSW exposure sites would not be permitted entry.

But traffic continued to flow freely on the Hume Freeway 10 hours after the implementation of checkpoint infrastructure at midnight on Sunday and some crossings remain unstaffed.

Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes, at the Lincoln Causeway checkpoint, defended the speed of the roll-out.

"These are fast-evolving developments," she said.

"Upon the realisation of a fairly big jump [in cases] yesterday, the government's considered all of the advice coming in ... ensuring 700 Victoria police have been deployed to the area, the priority was on the busiest intersections.

"Obviously the checkpoint on the freeway is a complex operation, you've got fast moving vehicles, you want to make sure you've got the safety measures in place.

"The rest of the checkpoints along the Victoria-NSW border will be put in place today."

Thirteen crossings had been flagged for checkpoints and Ms Symes said there would be more implemented.

"We will be seeking to roll out further ... whether that's hard borders with checkpoints or roving police," she said.

"We've got 700 police dedicated to this operation at the moment, supported by SES, we have reached out to ADF and asked for some support.

"I understand that not as much support has been forthcoming at this moment as we would like.

"We've made a similar request to what NSW did, and the first response is not as many as what we would like [is available] and we'll continue to have those conversations."

However, it remains unclear which crossings will be the locations of official checkpoints - while the Federation Way crossing from Corowa had Victoria Police members checking cars, the Wahgunyah John Foord Bridge did not on Monday morning.

Ms Symes said there was not a roadmap out of the border closure but her government would do everything possible to avoid a tightened bubble that saw nurses unable to attend hospitals in the NSW closure.

"[We have] had a lot of correspondence since the 7th of July when the NSW border was first put in place about those impacts and some of those ones that you really need to avoid," she said.

"I can't give any guarantees about what future restrictions might look like, but I can acknowledge we have lived experience.

"It is our commitment border communities should be able to live their daily lives ... as best as possible.

"Having spoken to police on the ground this morning, they are looking at making available two lanes tomorrow [on the Lincoln Causeway].

"There's suggestion of perhaps moving checkpoints below Wodonga and the like.

"The problem with that is it just crates too many opportunities for back roads and other diversions around actual checkpoints."

Victorians have been told to come home from areas of concern in NSW before midnight tonight, but they will steel need to self-quarantine and get tested.

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"We have to rely on the health advice, we have to rely on responding to the information we're getting out of NSW," Ms Symes said.

"We don't know the situation in NSW yet, they're still trying to get on top of things."

Only people who have visited, been in, or travelled through the Green Zone (outside of Sydney or Central Coast) can apply for a Victorian border crossing permit.

Victorian cross-border commissioner Luke Wilson said lessons from the NSW border had been implemented in the Victorian closure.

"The fact people in those border LGAs can use licences is an example of that," he said.

"The approach at the moment, using the licences and the green zone permits, matches the situation that's unfolding in NSW.

"That would be a decision for the health agencies, depending on the risk profile that they're facing."

Mr Wilson disagreed the roll-out was slow or allowed NSW residents free passage when they should be stopped.

"No, because the checkpoints are not the only control measure," he said.

"There are, and have been for several days, roving police patrols.

"If you go, for example, to the Upper Murray, there's a number of small crossings that are not heavily trafficked, but there are police patrols and there's signage at the borders reminding people to get their permit or use their licence.

Residents in these border LGAs can present their licence:

"The alternative would be the ones that aren't set up, you shut the crossings, and that was something that NSW did when they were setting up initially.

"That causes a lot of problems for communities, where you just shut the bridges.

"The approach here is far more risk-based and keeps those crossings open, and then the checkpoints will set up."

Mr Wilson said he didn't have the operational details for the Hume Freeway checkpoint.