Cross border issues

Victoria’s state borders during stage 3 of the shutdown in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Victoria has not imposed closures or restrictions on our state’s borders.

The location of essential cross-border services, like Albury-Wodonga Health, mean workers need to travel unrestricted across the border to help us slow the spread of coronavirus.

If Victorians can stay home, they must stay home -- but key services like our health services, freight and logistics that involve travel across our state’s borders can continue.

In South Australia, new restrictions are now in place for their borders, with exemptions for essential transport. The Victorian Cross Border Commissioner is working with the South Australian Government to understand the impacts and people should go to www.police.sa.gov.au for more information.

If there are concerns about potential variation in state decisions that may impact what is open on one side of our borders and what may be on the other, people should visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au, where they can find regularly updated information about what is restricted in Victoria.

Issues reported to the Cross Border Commissioner are usually one of three types:

Some are about different rules – like the varying rules for L and P plate drivers, or multiple licensing for tradespeople. Fixing these usually means changing rules.
Others are the result of different policies and practices – state A does it this way, state B does it that way. Both might be reasonable, but when you live in the middle of the two, it can get messy.
The third type are opportunities for joint effort. For example: “Wouldn’t it be better if we could market our tourism offerings together rather than separately?” It’s not about rules, it’s about working together.

Border businesses and residents have raised well over 170 border issues so far. The full list of issues raised will be available here in the second half of 2019.

So far, some common issues are:

Rules for L and P Plate drivers – learning to drive is hard enough, yet our young drivers are also faced with a complicated and difficult to comprehend system of different rules and conditions, which change when they drive across a border.
TAFE access – both rules and practices can make it hard for a business to access TAFE training for their apprentices and trainees over the border which is often where the most convenient, or even the only feasible, service is provided.
Responsible Service of Alcohol – despite a national accreditation being introduced for the Responsible Service of Alcohol, there are rules and practices in each State that make it impractical to use the accreditation interstate.

Contact the Commissioner

Complete the submission form
Email enquiries@crossborder.vic.gov.au
Write to us at PO Box 1332, Wodonga VIC 3689
Call 0436 642 436
For media enquiries contact (02) 6043 7960

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