THE Victorian Government’s “Road Map” out of strict COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns does not meet the needs of the Mildura electorate.
Member for Mildura Ali Cupper on Monday has written to state Premiers Daniel Andrews (Victoria), Steven Marshall (South Australia), Gladys Berejiklian (NSW) and Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlining a four-part recovery plan for northwest Victoria.
Ms Cupper said the plan would allow for an easing of restrictions in the Mildura electorate sooner than the “Road Map” while also introducing more movement across borders and a travel bubble with South Australia.
“Under the proposal I have sent to Premier Andrews, I am asking for the Mildura electorate to be moved straight to the ‘last step’, if we meet the case threshold by September 28,” she said.
“This would allow our restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs to reopen indoors with patron limits – similar to what we had during the Stage 2 lockdown.
“It would allow for larger numbers at weddings, funerals and religious ceremonies as well as allowing things like gyms to reopen and community sport to restart.”
Ms Cupper said it was important to note the Mildura electorate had been COVID-19 free for many months, with only one case attributed since April.
“So the data shows we have met the threshold criteria the entire time anyway,” she said.
“We can’t have a situation where our electorate is being kept shut – and only reopening at very slow intervals – over the coming weeks and months due to cases hundreds of kilometres away.
“We have and can continue to keep ourselves safe and COVID-19 free, while at the same time allowing our businesses and residents a semblance of ‘COVID normal’ much sooner than has been forecast.”
Ms Cupper said with an impending easing of restrictions in Victoria, there was an opportunity for both NSW and SA to further soften their border closures.
She said allowing unrestricted daily freedom of movement for residents in the defined border zones should begin immediately and the SA Government must look at introducing a ‘border bubble’ with the Mildura electorate, at least for the purposes of medical services.
“SA continually said it was being guided by the numbers when imposing its hard border closure – well the numbers show the Mildura electorate is no risk to the state,” she said.
#FIXEDIT CAMPAIGN – the road to recovery:
- Skip the ‘third step’ – If the threshold of less than 5 new cases is averaged over the 14 days from September 13, northwest Victoria moves straight into the ‘last step’ on September 28.
- Expand third-round extension of business grants immediately, to include sole traders – The Victorian Government to provide a second round of business grant payments during the ‘second step’.
- Continue JobKeeper and Jobseeker payments at current rate until the end of 2020 – The Federal Government to continue the $1500 per fortnight payments for Jobseeker and Jobkeeper.
- Border closures – NSW and SA Governments to allow freedom of movement for daily living within their defined border zones AND an SA travel bubble for Mildura electorate residents to allow travel to Adelaide for medical purposes.
