Coming Home Shouldn't Be So Hard, Or Dangerous
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur has asked the Minister for Health to amend the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions to allow longer travel times.
Mrs McArthur, was able to raise her alarm on the issue in the Victorian Parliament before Tuesday’s sitting was disgracefully suspended.
She said the current permit regulations encourage motorists to speed and drive for dangerously long periods to qualify for border crossing.
“I have a 75-year-old constituent who has been trying to drive back from the Sunshine Coast with his caravan since early July.
“The drive to Victoria is 16.5 hours straight. This is what he would have to do to fit the Victorian permit demands to get home,” Mrs McArthur said.
Under Direction 7(1) of the permit, uninfected Victorian residents can enter from NSW if:
They have not been at a very high-risk exposure site
In an extreme risk zone apart from during transit, and
They travel directly to Victoria ‘whilst in direct and short-term transit’, minimising community contact
‘Short-term transit’ means a period of less than 24 hours, except in emergency
“It is completely unreasonable and irresponsible for the Victorian Government to force a 75-year-old man to undertake such a long drive, with scarce opportunities to rest, sleep or eat.
“The TAC recommends driving breaks every two hours.
“The Government boasts of its supposed efforts to reduce Victoria’s road toll, despite it increasing so much that an inquiry was required.
“Clearly it has learnt nothing,” Mrs McArthur said.
Another constituent-couple has also been grossly impacted by the 24-hour rule.
Wanting to return from the Gold Coast, they gained a red zone permit, but took 34 hours instead of 24 hours to reach the Victorian border.
“Upon reaching the border they realised their error. They were unable to find an officer at the border, so did the right thing and turned back into NSW.
“And for their honesty, they remain stuck in NSW nearly two weeks later with dwindling finances.
“Their exemption request lodged on the 7th August remains unprocessed.
“Today, they tell me they have had their first contact from the Victorian Health Department in 11 days.
“Despite this lack of guidance the couple have had COVID-tests done. They have already tested negative three times and will have a fourth test tomorrow,” Mrs McArthur said.
The couple is staying in a border town hotel and have described their experience to Mrs McArthur in an email:
“We have been self isolating in this grim and depressing motel room, 24 hours per day, for 11 days now.
“We only leave our room to go and have covid tests or to go to the local IGA, when we have run out of food.
“We have no clean clothes (there is no laundry) and are unable to cook nutritious food (there is no kitchen).
“We are self-isolating because we believe that this is our best chance of returning home, not because we have received any communication, advice, direction or support from The Health Department.
“The Health Department continues to publicly say that they have closed the border, because they are looking after Victorians. But WE are Victorians and we matter. Sadly, we feel completely forgotten and abandoned and that we don’t matter at all.
“We pose no threat to the health and well-being of Victorians, in fact Victorians pose more of a threat to us currently.”.
Mrs McArthur said the mishandling of the matter is beyond belief.
“This is cruel and despotic management at its worst, and in truth, a total failure of government process.
“These are simple requests. These people are Victorians, not illegal immigrants or criminals. They have a right to return to their home where they could far more safely isolate than in a public motel.
“In any case, we are all Australians virtually cut off from the rest of the world and now cut off from the state we live in. This is just unacceptable and has to stop.
“It also highlights a ridiculous permit system that if it has to exist at all, is clearly in need of immediate attention – for the safety of road users, COVID precautions and all Australians,” Mrs McArthur said.
18 August 2021