LEETON Shire Council has joined the chorus of calls that are mounting on the state government to ease COVID-19 restrictions in rural and regional areas.
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Rural and regional areas that have not recorded a local positive COVID-19 case in months have still been subject to the same restrictions placed on metropolitan areas where the virus had been more consistently present.
Leeton has not recorded any positive cases of coronavirus throughout the entirety of the pandemic.
Mayors throughout the Riverina, including Leeton shire's Paul Maytom, would like the state government to reconsider its "one size fits all approach" to restrictions that remain place.
"We certainly need to roll back some of the unnecessary restrictions in our area because we have had no cases here," councillor Maytom said.
"I think it's time there was a review if you like of the rules, especially for regional and rural areas.
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"They say there can be 40,000 in a stadium in the city, but here you go to the pub and you're not allowed to stand up even.
"I don't mind if people have to walk in to these venues here and sanitise and record their details, but I think restrictions venues where they can be fined is unnecessary out here now."
Cr Maytom said he was not downplaying the severity of the virus or the need to remain vigilant, but said businesses and events in regional and rural areas where there have been no cases, or even very few, should be allowed to start returning to normal as best as possible.
"One size no longer fits all," he said.
"(The government) needs to do a review, look at where we are placed and move forward instead of having harsh rules and restrictions on businesses out here that are trying to get back on their feet.
"I think people are sensible and will still be doing the right thing with the proper hygiene practices.
"We're all used to that by now, but I think some of these restrictions do need to be rolled back in regional areas like ours."
Chairman of the Riverina Joint Organisation, Rick Firman, believed the level of restrictions should be rolled back given the absence of the virus in the local community.
"This is something all of us across the Riverina region as mayors, councillors and staff have been calling for, for some time now," Cr Firman said.
"There has been very few if any cases out here and we need to get our economy and tourism industry back on track ..."