Member for Benambra Bill Tilley is stepping up the fight to increase patron caps at Victorian hospitality venues in the wake of Albury coming out of lockdown with an anticipated interstate stampede to its pubs and clubs.
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Mr Tilley said he had taken the imbalance in the operating conditions to three Victorian Labor ministers and requested parity in the major population centres along the Murray River.
"Businesses on the Victorian side are suffering," he said.
"The kids will all be going over to Albury at the weekend, Dean Street will be alive.
"And why wouldn't they when you can only get 10 people into a pub in Wodonga?"
Wodonga pubs, restaurants and cafes can only have 10 people seated indoors presently, but Albury counterparts are going back to the one person per four square metre rule from today.
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Huon Hill owner Bill Perry said Wodonga hospitality venues were struggling under the restrictive operating conditions of 10 people indoors and 20 people outdoors.
"Staff will be getting jobs in Albury and while you can only have 10 people inside in a Victorian venue people are going to be booking functions such as Christmas parties in Albury from now on," he said.
"We can have 20 people outside, but the last two Saturdays we've been open one has been wet and the other has been windy.
"We had a woman from Melbourne turn up the other night and couldn't understand why we couldn't let her in. Staff are getting abused, but the locals have been very supportive.
"I'm not sure the bureaucrats based in Melbourne who come up with these rules truly understand how they roll out in Albury-Wodonga and other places along the river."
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