Australian Industry Group and Business Wodonga fear for Victorian businesses if opening up delayed

Victorian border pubs and cafes are at a major disadvantage to those in Albury and other NSW centres with the divide to grow this month with NSW further advanced on hitting the 70 and 80 per cent double dosed vaccination milestones.

The Australian Industry Group's Tim Farrah downplayed fears about local health services being swamped when restrictions start to be eased and Business Wodonga's Graham Jenkin had real concerns about the government's response to daily cases numbers in 1000s.

"We think the Victorian roadmap is over cautious," Mr Farrah said.

"When the vaccines targets are hit most of the vulnerable people would have had their jab.

"So it's time to open up.

"NSW is way ahead of the game both in terms of a health and economic business perspective.

"Because we are on the border those business south of the border will suffer."

Victoria announced 1220 new infections yesterday with nearby Shepparton forced back into lockdown late on Friday.

The latest Shepparton cluster has grown to 42 with 52 new cases in regional Victoria reported in the last 24 hours, but no fresh outbreak in the North-East.

Wangaratta childcare centre Country Buddies is a tier one exposure site.

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Mr Jenkin said evidence of Albury pubs and clubs enjoying a major trading edge over those in Wodonga became evident at the weekend with queues of people waiting to get inside Albury venues.

"I'm just concerned they will not stick to their word and open up," he said.

"With all the talk of the health system being overwhelmed it's hard to see the government honouring its promise to open up once those vaccination levels are reached if cases continue to rise or stay at their current high levels.

"Not opening up would be just traumatic on everybody, particularly venues that can't have more people than the present very restrictive numbers."

Despite Melbourne set to become the most lockdown city in the world and case numbers climbing, Premier Daniel Andrews said the state was on target to opening up.

"There is pain. There is loss," Mr Andrews said.

"There is however, hope and a real optimism. We are going to get past this.

"We are going to end this lockdown and open up.

"And all that we will enjoy then, will be a result of all that we have given."

Meanwhile, member for Farrer Sussan Ley has doubled down on her push for low-cost Rapid Antigen Testing being the tool used by Victoria and NSW to end any future border closures and travel restrictions between the two states.

She said state governments needed to work on a unified approach to accept negative rapid test results to allow daily life to resume.

"I have already approached health minister Greg Hunt asking how we can ensure R.A.T kits can be made available and affordable to business and members of the public through the PBS," she said.

"Transport businesses and contract harvesters are struggling to access COVID test sites to gain a negative test, construction teams are barred from working interstate.

"The tourism sector along the border must get visitors back from Melbourne to survive into 2022, but I really fear a few cases emerging in a place like Moama or Mulwala for example will again see Victorians stopped from entering NSW.

"Carrying a negative R.A.T. result will give both guests and operators confidence a venue is as COVID-safe as possible.

"Both state governments acknowledge their border communities have borne a disproportionate cost caused by myriad state health orders.

"It's now time for them to help repair the damage."

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