The huge change coming to Victoria’s border with New South Wales as stubborn premiers are warned coronavirus dividing lines will cripple the economy – and Queensland shuts its doors until OCTOBER
- Politicians have been critical of state premiers for keeping their borders closed
- Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg urged premiers to reconsider tough stance
- Both warned closures are crippling the economy and costing people their jobs
- Agricultural workers are set to be able to cross between NSW and Victoria easily
- Annastacia Palaszczuk refused to change her sanctions despite medical dramas
Gladys Berejiklian has announced an easing of NSW border permit system with Victoria, as fierce debates rage on about the coronavirus closures.
Ms Berejiklian visited Albury on Tuesday to announce a 50km border buffer zone on either side to allow agricultural workers to cross into NSW more easily.
The permits are expected to be available for residents by Friday, making it easier to travel for work and ease 'angst and frustration' among locals.
But the same can't be said for Queensland, where premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed her state's border wouldn't open until at least October - despite the state economy hemorrhaging $17million a day.
The new border region permit will allow residents to pass between Victoria and NSW for neccessary goods and services, care and compassionate reasons and going to work or school.
They are not allowed to leave the 50km border bubble.
Political leaders have been critical of premiers for keeping their borders closed amid the economic fallout of the coronavirus (pictured, traffic queues at the Albury border checkpoint)
Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) has announced Queensland will not open its border to NSW until at least October
The NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro has been vigorously calling for border restrictions to be relaxed after meeting with stakeholders in Albury-Wodonga last week.
On Monday, he called for a national code to allow agricultural workers such as fruit pickers to be designated 'essential service' workers like freight workers to be able to cross state borders without permits.
The announcement comes after political leaders have warned coronavirus dividing lines are dragging down the national economy.
Scott Morrison slammed 'provincial' state premiers who have refused to open their borders to areas with few or no cases of coronavirus.
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In a speech at the annual bush summit in Cooma in New South Wales last week, the prime minister said border restrictions were hurting regional areas.
He said he has heard examples of farmers being unable to move around their properties because they cross state borders and teachers being unable to get to work in neighbouring states.
'Borders cost communities and their economies,' he said.
'They must be proportionate to the risks and they must only be there when health evidence transparently supports that position and only for as long as absolutely necessary.
'It is reasonable for Australians to have access to medical facilities, to get to work and have access to their own properties.'
Western Australia and Tasmania are closed to all states and Queensland is not letting anyone from NSW or the ACT cross the border, even if they are from areas with no cases.
Ms Palaszczuk told reporters in Cairns on Tuesday her hard stance on the border was not going to change.
'We said we would review at the end of the each month and there has been no advice from the chief health officer to change what we are doing,' she said.
'I’ll tell you what we’re looking for - to keep Queenslanders safe, that’s what we’re looking for.'
Queensland's extreme border restrictions were highlighted last week after Ballina woman Kimberley Brown lost her unborn baby girl after she was forced to travel 750km for an urgent operation because she was unable to enter the state.
Despite problems with hospital admissions, Ms Palaszczuk said she would not be changing her border closure policy.
Officials stop motorists at the NSW-Queensland border in Coolangatta. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she will not change her border closure policy
'Queensland will continue to have our borders closed to keep Queenslanders safe, I’m not going to be moved on this,' she said.
'Fundamentally the health of Queenslanders is my number one concern.
'We know that people wanted to open our borders earlier. We would have seen a situation that’s happening in Victoria happening in Queensland.'
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned the economic fallout from the pandemic will only get worse if borders remain closed.
He has been critical of state leaders keeping their borders closed and urged leaders to exercise more common sense in enforcing sanctions.
'There’s too much confusion and ultimately too much cruelty in the way that the borders have been closed. And what we need is more compassion,' Mr Frydenberg said.
'What we need is more common sense and it’s just inexplicable that a schoolteacher from Victoria which is 2km away from the South Australian border is deemed not to be an essential worker.
'It’s inexplicable that a mother can lose their child because of confusion as to how they can access a hospital in Brisbane.
A medical professional takes a coronavirus test from a driver at the drive-through COVID-19 testing facility in Murarrie in Brisbane
Police speak with an airline passenger wearing a face mask and face shield after arriving in Sydney Airport from Melbourne on August 8 (pictured)
'Those jurisdictions have got questions to answer when it comes to the operation of their borders because what we can’t see is people being denied medical treatment.'
Mr Morrison has been outspoken in his criticism of border closures, urging state premiers to reconsider their tough stances unless absolutely necessary.
The prime minister said he feared state premiers were forgetting the federation and 'retreating into provincialism.'
'Australia was not built to have internal borders. In fact the very point of federation was not to have them. That was the point of Australia,' he said.
'We must be one and indivisible as a nation. We must be Australians first and we must not allow this crisis to force us to retreat into provincialism. That's not the answer.'
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured together) have urged premiers to reconsider tough stance on border closure policies
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