Victoria’s Cross Border Commissioner

Many people living in Victoria’s border communities have business and social networks that extend into New South Wales and South Australia.

But service delivery and regulatory differences between states can discourage people from taking up work and study opportunities across the border and add to the cost of doing business in border areas.

The Cross Border Commissioner’s role is to work with border residents, businesses and community organisations to identify and advocate for change along Victoria’s borders. This involves working with Victoria’s departments and agencies, as well as interstate counterparts including the NSW Cross Border Commissioner, and a Memorandum of Understanding with NSW is now in place.

Making it easier to do business across our borders has economic benefit, while addressing practice and regulatory barriers to people accessing education, justice, health and other services improves health and social outcomes in border communities – making our border areas better places to live.

Luke Wilson is Victoria’s Cross Border Commissioner.