Victorians stuck 'in limbo' on NSW border as costly wait to return home drags on
/Retired Victorian residents stranded on the New South Wales side of the Murray River are calling on the state government for financial support as they wait to return home.
Key points:
- Retired Gippsland residents call for financial support from the Victorian government to help pay for accommodation as they wait along the NSW border to return home
- It follows the launch of an investigation by the Victorian Ombudsman into the strict border rules that have left thousands of people in limbo
- Residents have applied for permits to isolate in their own homes without any success
Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass yesterday launched an investigation into the processes behind the state government's tough border restrictions, after receiving more than 80 complaints.
But the announcement has provided little relief for those forced to dig deep into their pockets for short-term accommodation.
Korumburra resident Colin White, 73, has been stuck in Albury with his partner for more than a month and said living costs had piled up quickly.
"Costs are rounding up to about $4,000 now and it feels like we're paying a big fine for just trying to follow the rules, do the right thing and get back home," he said.
Last week, the Victorian government signed up to trial the Commonwealth's home-quarantine program, which will grant 200 Victorians stranded on the border a permit to isolate for a fortnight in their own homes.
Mr White said he submitted his application last Friday and was told it would take about 72 hours to process, but by Thursday he still had not heard back from the Department of Health.
"It's rather a struggle mentally because you sort of build up hope and it gradually starts to fade away, it's like slow torture," he said.
A case for 'some form of compensation'
Among the thousands of frustrated applicants are Steve and Merrill Conn from Metung in East Gippsland.
Mr Conn said the pair were surviving off their pensions and support from family.
"We're fortunate enough to have our daughters offer us financial support or else we'd probably be sleeping in our car," he said.
"We were evacuated four times out of our home when the bushfires were happening in our region two years ago … so to have this happen to us just brings back all of those strange feelings of not being able to return home."
Mrs Conn said the couple had been staying in an apartment complex north of the border at Merimbula with several other Victorians — many of whom were elderly.
"We have all applied to go home, we're fully vaccinated, we've done all of the COVID tests and we're staying in a low-risk area that has zero active cases," she said.
"I just don't see why we can't go home. It's a very confusing and anxious time for all of us trying to navigate this."
Mrs Conn said she feared she would not be able to afford accommodation if she was made to wait any longer and called on the Victorian government to provide "some form of compensation".
Despite having welcomed the Ombudsman's investigation, the Conns and Mr White may not get the answers they are hoping for until the review is completed by the end of the year.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the government was working to get Victorians home from NSW.
"I thank the big team that works through the application for permits and concessions," he said.
"It's a very challenging job to undertake and so often you have to give people news they don't want to hear.
"We are getting people home from NSW and we'll make further announcements about those decisions soon."
Loading...