Wahgunyah residents who need to travel to Corowa for supplies will be allowed to do so, after a late change by the NSW Government.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has endorsed an exemption to the public health order governing COVID-19 border restriction control.
The new exemption will allow those living in certain remote communities to cross the border to obtain essential goods and services, including food, fuel, hygiene products and disability support.
The order specifies towns and where residents from those can travel for supplies. They include, but are not limited to Wahgunyah to Corowa and Mulwala to Yarrawonga.
Federation Council Mayor Pat Bourke said this was the first real win for border communities under the new restrictions.
"Yesterday councils lobbied heavily to State, Federal and the Cross Border Commissioner to immediately re-think the latest border restrictions," Mayor Bourke said.
"Overnight our Council and neighboring shire councils received hundreds of submissions expressing their stress and anxiety over the new restrictions. Our border towns rely heavily on one another for a range of different services. To lock these communities away from one another was just ludicrous. This is our first real win and we are pleased the government is listening to our communities concerns."
Indigo Shire Mayor Jenny O'Connor said while this is certainly a step in the right direction and good news for Wahgunyah residents, it by no means goes far enough to addressing the dire situation that most of the Shire is now facing. "We will continue to advocate with everything we have to convince the NSW Government that these new restrictions are unworkable for our border communities".
