At a meeting in the Moama Bowling Club on the morning of Wednesday, January 13, convened by Victorian Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh, a large crowd of business owners showed more than 60 businesses had been smashed by the sudden decision to close the Victorian border on New Year’s Eve, sparking a panicked exodus of more than 60,000 Victorians holidaying north of the Murray.
Mr Walsh said Echuca took a belting when NSW closed its borders in the middle of last year, but the difference in 2021 was the timing.
“Summer is make or break for all river communities; that’s when the tourists come, that’s when motels, hotels, caravan parks, camping grounds and all the ancillary businesses built around that trade make the money to get them through the rest of the year,” Mr Walsh said.
“But if you are in Melbourne, for example, and your choice is go to the beach, or the Yarra Valley or the Grampians, have a good time and go home or go to Moama, have a good time then go home to a COVID test and isolation, ask yourself, what would you do?
“Yet despite all the heartbreak, the people at today’s meeting were ready for the fight and an action committee has been appointed to launch a campaign to turn it all around — to ‘Turn the Bubble Green’.
“It’s just ridiculous that someone in Moama can cross the Murray, drive to Melbourne, spend the weekend there, or longer, drive back to the twin towns, across the bridge and go home without reporting where they have been, what they did and who they met — and not have to have a COVID test or isolate.
“Monty Python could not have written this script; if it wasn’t so bloody serious it would be laughable.”
South Australia moved on Wednesday to change its restrictions, allowing NSW travellers from outside high community transmission zones in Greater Sydney, Wollongong, the Central Coast and Blue Mountains to enter SA without needing to isolate.
"We have not wanted to keep restrictions in place for one day longer than we need to,” Premier Steven Marshall said.
Echuca-Moama Tourism chief executive Kathryn Mackenzie told the meeting her group and Murray Regional Tourism were working closely with multiple Victorian Government departments to deliver the message about the financial crisis the border closure has created.
And Murray River Council’s community and economic development director John Harvie said council was working with them and other councils along the river to make governments on both sides of the river aware of what was happening in all border communities.
Business owners at the meeting spelt out their desperation, talking about hundreds of vacant beds, empty cafés, major clubs down 50 per cent or more and retail outlets waiting in vain for customers.
“I was happy to get the meeting off the ground and am delighted we have an action committee, with its members telling me they already have the outline of a ‘Turn the Bubble Green’ strategy, and expect to hear more about it in the next day or two,” Mr Walsh said.
“But until then, and for as long as possible, I urge everyone living inside the bubble — and in Victoria that goes to the other side of Bendigo — to take a day, a few days or a couple of weeks and come up to the river, enjoy everything it has to offer, book a stay in Moama and have some fabulous memories to share.”
● Help support the campaign by using the hashtag #turnthebubblegreen
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