Permits required to cross the border from Friday

With the COVID-19 situation in NSW remaining a high risk to Victoria, the cross-border permit system for residents in cross border community local government areas will be reintroduced from 6pm this Friday, August 13. The reasons Cross Border community area residents can cross the Victorian-NSW border still include:• Necessary goods and services, including medical care• Care or other compassionate reasons• Work (whether paid or voluntary, including for charitable or religious purposes)• Education (including childcare or early childhood services)• Receiving a COVID-19 vaccination,• Organised/community sport and exercise connected to or organised by a club or facility.Residents will be able to apply for a permit from Thursday afternoon at the Service Victoria website, service.vic.gov.au and via the Service Victoria app."We know the changes to border rules have been a challenge for border residents, but the permit will improve our ability to track who is entering Victoria from NSW and make it easier to rapidly get information to contact tracers and to monitor for compliance," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said."We need to do everything we can to protect our border from further incursions, which put at risk everything Victorians have sacrificed to this point in the pandemic."For more information call the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398 or visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au.