Edward River Council's exclusion from the Victorian Border Bubble is an unnecessary and potentially dangerous decision.
"Without a single Covid case in the LGA since the start of the pandemic, we are at a loss to understand how this decision was made," Council's mayor Norm Brennan said.
"We have no major highways in our LGA - we do not get a large amount of through traffic from anywhere and our community absolutely relies on access to Victoria for essential services including but not limited to health and education."
Cr. Brennan said the decision to exclude Edward River appeared to be political rather than based on real risk.
"The closest we have come to being exposed to Covid is Echuca - a Victorian case not a NSW border bubble resident.
"We present no risk to Victoria, in fact our residents take the risk by travelling to Victoria for essential services. Our residents are often forced out of town to buy a pair of undies! That's what we're talking about - this decision makes no sense."
Cr. Brennan said Edward River residents regularly attend medical appointments south of the border due to limited specialist medical services in Deniliquin.
"We are 45 minutes from Echuca. Our nearest NSW town with adequate facilities is nearly two and a half hours away. That is certainly not ideal for serious medical concerns."
Cr. Brennan said the district also provides a lot of employment for Victorians who travel daily to work.
"We have many children attend school in Victoria as well. Those kids have done it tough enough in the last 18 months without this to add to their worries," he said.
Cr. Brennan said he would be doing all possible to get the decision reversed in order to reduce the risk to local residents.
"This decision really is incomprehensible. Whilst I have been advised our residents can seek exemptions for confirmed medical appointments we have no further clarification on how this decision will affect our students and workforce.
"Rather than an early evening update to their website, we implore the Victorian Government to not put at risk our residents, to consider we are all Australians not State versus State and to leave the politics out of this," Cr. Brennan said.
