Murray River Council Mayor Chris Bilkey has called on his Victorian local government neighbors to “catch up” as the deadline draws closer for an influx of Melbourne tourists to the area.
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There is still a gap between the double-vaccination percentage of the Murray River Council and the current levels in the Campaspe Shire.
Mayor Bilkey is encouraging the cross-border neighbour to continue their effort, recognising the significant population difference of the two areas.
There are 9900 over 16 years of age in Murray River Council, which is dwarfed by the 30,000 in the same category in Campaspe
Murray River Council is the leading regional and rural local government area in NSW, with 80.2 per cent of its population double vaccinated – as of October 6.
Campaspe Shire has a 60.2 per cent double-vaccination rate and Mayor Bilkey said his hope was the neighbouring council could step up its vaccination program.
“Our wish is to have our double-vax rates of well over 90 per cent for both communities,” Cr Bilkey said.
“That way we are in a very strong position for those people who come into our community from Melbourne, or other areas of Victoria, who are COVID unknowns or COVID positive.”
Cr Bilkey said his council was desperate to “Save our Summer” and visitors from Victoria presented the formula for that to happen.
“We want the visitors here, but we don’t want them to pose a risk to the local communities,” he said.
“From Murray River Council’s point of view we will be promoting the fact that we lead the state’s regional areas in vaccination.
“People can feel safe coming here and we will be ready and waiting for an influx of Victorians.”
Mayor Bilkey said he understood that a percentage of these visitors would be unvaccinated.
“Some of them will even be COVID positive,” he said.
“Once the Melbourne lockdown disappears you can be guaranteed that there will be cases up here.
“To speak selfishly our best line of defence is to keep on vaccinating.”
With Murray Regional Tourism playing the lead role, the council has thrown its weight behind the Save our Summer campaign, which is being staged in conjunction with the Riverine Herald.
The NSW border community has not been a priority with either the Victorian or the NSW Government.
Cr Bilkey said every measure was being taken to ensure summer could, in fact, be saved.
“I don’t know what else we can do,” he said.
“What else can we do in terms of preventing spread and preventing access of the virus to this part of the world.
“We have the vaccination up to the highest level of any regional and rural council in the country.
“We’d like Campaspe to be a bit further advanced than they are.
“But they are catching up a bit on the second vaccination numbers.”
Cr Bilkey said he was certain the Campaspe shire was well aware of the impact of a low vaccination rate.
“Both the communities need to be at a high level before full interaction can occur in a safe manner,” he said.
Cr Bilkey pointed to the use of rapid antigen tests and their potential to help solve the problem.
“It’s something that could be used for people who want to come and participate in all our pubs, clubs and accommodation, but can’t provide vaccination evidence,” he said.
“There needs to be something put in place, these tests are 80 per cent accurate and only take a few minutes.”
The mayor regards the utilisation of rapid antigen testing as a means of increasing the security of everyone in the community.
But who will foot the bill?
It appears as though the border community has “missed the boat” in regard to some kind of interactive border trial between Victoria and NSW.
“The horse may have bolted on the border trial,” Cr Bilkey said.
“The trials that they are being undertaken elsewhere in Victoria are pretty set.
“I have some doubts whether we can convince them to add an additional sites.”
It is not through lack of effort, as Murray Regional Tourism chief executive officer Mark Francis has been pushing hard for the area’s involvement in the program
“They seem to just want to test their protocols it in Victoria,” Cr Bilkey said.
“I am a little bit concerned on how they measure the outcomes.
“It does not look like they will test cross border scenarios at all.”
The general consensus of those who are dealing with governments on both sides of the river is that cross-border arrangements are not part of what they are setting out to test.
“We are not high on the priority list on either government in regard to solving border scenarios,” he said.
“We will have to make the most of what both governments give us.”
Cr Bilkey was uncertain as to what the local government authority’s obligations would be to test people when they eventually do come to the area, from Melbourne, in particular.
“Do we have an obligation to ask them for proof of vaccination? Do we have a right to ask them to be tested?
“What arrangements will be in place?
“If vaccination proof is going to be required for participation in accommodation, hotels and clubs will it be the obligation of the businesses, and at their own cost?
“We just do not know the answers.”
Cr Bilkey was concerned with how businesses, in particular, those in the hospitality industry, would police the return of people to the area.
“It’s a challenge that we haven’t seen any clarity about,” he said.
All he was certain of is that it will not be an obligation for local government.
“We will be there to support businesses in whatever way we can, but we are waiting for more information from both governments,” he said.
“Everything has been a bit late, everything has been after the horse has bolted.
“They are still making policy on the run.
“There is no planning for specific areas. It is just a one-size-fits-all approach.
“It appears as though the border is an unnecessary complication.”
Cr Bilkey said governments were fully aware of the scenario on the border, through things like the Save our Summer program and the work of Murray Regional Tourism, in conjunction with the council.
“They are aware of us, there is some evidence that their attitude toward border closures has softened,” he said.
“There doesn’t, however, seem much specific planning about what will be done going into summer.
“We need to know how the two states will interact to control the spread.
“We’d love to see the opportunity for government to contribute to the cost of things like rapid antigen tests.
“I am pretty sure that people who turn up at the pub won’t want to be paying for a rapid antigen test.
“If the government doesn’t want to pay for it then it will be an impost on the businesses.”
Cr Bilkey said he would be surprised if the costs of these tests did not come down in the near future.
“As far as I have heard they range from $10 to $12 for visitors to an aged-care institution,” he said.
There have been some proactive businesses in Melbourne paying for their staff to be tested and then presenting a card on arrival to work that they had a negative result.
Cr Bilkey was clear.
“Whatever we need to do, and are able to do, to Save our Summer we will be doing.”
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor