Residents dreaming of crossing the state lines for daily life are out of luck, with government officials confirming strict border measures remain in place despite the easing of restrictions in the North East and Riverina.
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Border bubble residents wanting to cross state lines still need a permit to do so.
Deputy secretary of Victoria Health's COVID-19 Response Division, Nicole Brady, said residents can only cross the border for permitted reasons.
"You certainly can't go sit down in cafe in NSW as part of border bubble community but you can cross permitted reasons," she said.
The current reasons to cross the border according to the Victorian Government are; to shop for necessary goods and services, for caregiving or compassionate reasons (including medical appointments), authorised work or education, to get a COVID vaccine and to visit an intimate partner.
Asked by The Border Mail whether the border bubble would be revised now the Riverina was out of lockdown, Victoria Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas said the health team was assessing the risks in Victoria and NSW daily.
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The Minister, who grew up in Sandy Creek, said the health department and cross border commissioners were working hard to highlight and remedy the challenges facing bubble communities.
"I'm very acutely aware of the particular challenges that have been faced by our border communities," she said.
"I don't have any changes to announce in relation to the border bubble arrangements we currently have.
"We do want to protect our border communities and work as hard as we can to do that understanding of course that the virus and the situation in NSW is very troubling, very concerning for us here in Victoria and we will not do anything that puts at risk the people in Victoria."
Ms Brady said the bubble was under constant review.
"The Chief Health Officer is responding to a dynamic situation and constantly assessing what is appropriate in regards to any controls, any inclusions or exclusions in the cross border area," she said.
It comes as Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell called for Daniel Andrews to scrap his border permit system for bubble residents.
"The Premier needs to scrap his border community permit and allow residents in the designated border bubble region the ability to travel freely within their community without this unnecessary bureaucratic burden," she said.
COVID Commander Jerone Weimar confirmed late yesterday the end of lockdown did not mean free travel across the border.
"Obviously for all Victorians in cross border bubble they get benefit of regional Victorian easing that will be the most significant change to what it means for for them," he said.
"It also means if you are in the cross border bubble you can of course continue to cross the border for those five reasons into NSW it includes those who are travelling for work. People living in the border bubble can still cross over the border bubble for work they've got on the other side, but NSW is of course in stage four lockdown so it will be down to individuals and whether their workplaces are still open."
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Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
