Border rule confusion continues

Lauren Mathers, Bundarra Berkshires, Barham, NSW, said she was "totally over" the lockdowns.

Ms Mathers, and husband Lachlan, run a free range pig farm and operate the Little Pork Deli in Barham.

"I'm totally over it now, we can't get staff up from Melbourne and its unclear about whether or not we can cross the river for services," Ms Mathers said.

"It's extremely frustrating, as we rely on Victorian customers for our shopfront.

"We can't just pop over to Victoria - if we want to get something done in one of the neighbouring towns, can we go, or do we need to get a permit?

"It changes all the time, because Victoria has its rules and NSW has its rules.

"It's really confusing - I've had a gutful."

Planning for the next 12 months was extremely difficult, due to the uncertainty over what was going to happen with coronavirus.

"The bubble is ridiculous because we don't have a case, anywhere near us," she said.

"It's the way they keep jumping to lockdown, they need to isolate the areas that have any outbreaks, but don't isolate the whole state."

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Earlier this week, the Victorian government imposed strict conditions on border bubble residents, insisting NSW residents could only enter Victoria without a permit if they were travelling for essential reasons.

Border bubble arrangements would continue, with residents only able to cross into Victoria without a permit for:

. Necessary goods and services, including medical care and getting a COVID-19 test

. Care and compassionate reasons

. Paid or voluntary work

. Education

. Getting a COVID-19 vaccination

. Sport and exercise at a sporting club or at a sport or physical recreation facility.

The permitted reasons also apply to Victorian border bubble residents who plan to enter NSW.

They will need to have observed the permitted essential reasons for travel while in NSW if they wish to return to Victoria without a permit.

Health Minister Martin Foley said the public health advice was clear.

"We need to limit unessential movement across the border into Victoria where it is practical and possible," Mr Foley said.

"We know this will affect many border residents, but so will another outbreak of the Delta variant on our doorstep - we need to keep our border residents and all Victorians safe."

Derryn Hinch's Justice Party Northern Victorian MP Tania Maxwell has told state parliament the government needed to consult and engage with regional communities when considering restrictions.

"In the past year I have asked the government to consider a 'traffic-light system' for restrictions in Victoria to allow places without cases to operate at a level proportionate to the absence of case numbers, and to provide some measure of flexibility and certainty in regional areas," Ms Maxwell said.

"In border communities there is confusion, anger and frustration about the substantially tightened cross-border rules."

She said Gannawarra Shire Council recently passed a motion calling on the government to assess any restrictions on a local government area basis with input from the local council.

"Regional communities have proved that they will stand up in response to any outbreaks and take local and individual responsibility."

Jim Arrowsmith, Pacdon Park, Moama, produces pork products with his wife Jane and Pete Tonge and sell them online and through the company's shop.

"It's business as usual, with couriers, but last week our shop had three customers all week," Mr Arrowsmith said.

"I think we took a total of $72 last week, its zero percent of our turnover, at the moment."

He said lived in Victoria, but Pacdon's factory was on Pericoota Road, just over the border.

"If I was Tiger Woods, with the wind behind me, I could hit a ball into Victoria, we are that close," Mr Arrowsmith said.

"I totally understand what governments are doing, drawing a line in the sand and the border is an actual line, but its raving mad, really," Mr Arrowsmith said.

"It's like the Berlin Wall being thrown up in a town, overnight."

He said the police were playing a deterrent role in the two towns, aiming to stop people travelling.

Movement had freer this time, "to travel around town it's been a vast improvement on all previous border closures and lockdowns".

"But Echuca-Moama is on the border and is ripped in two."

Kate Redfearn, 12 Good eggs, Moulamein, NSW, said while her couriers were still able to do home deliveries, there had been a big downturn from the hospitality industry.

"They don't know what's going to happen next, they are nervous, they don't to order big lots of eggs," Ms Redfearn said.

She said hospitality business in the border area were particularly hard hit by the lack of tourists while the Melbourne lockdowns were also affecting trade.

"One day they are open, next day they are shut, it's been really hard on them," she said.

"It's absolutely crazy, all the cases are around Sydney.

"We haven't had any around here and we don't want any around here, so I understand not letting Sydney folk travel down to us.

"But to treat us like Sydney seems really unfair."