MEMBER for Murray Helen Dalton has said ongoing state border closures are "messy" and a national approach to the issue is needed.
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Mrs Dalton said she would be asking Prime Minister Scott Morrison to implement a national approach to state border management, which includes financial compensation for rural communities hit by sudden border closures.
"State governments will destroy border communities if they continue to implement rushed, confusing, ad hoc border closures over the next few years," Mrs Dalton said.
"We need the federal government to intervene to provide consistent rules around state border closures, rules which protect border communities.
"At the moment, state governments are throwing rural residents under the bus every time there's a COVID outbreak in a capital city."
"The federal government should lead the formation of nation-wide standards, which provide clear trigger points on border closures, notice periods, a user-friendly exemption system and proper staffing of border checkpoints and helplines."
Mrs Dalton's state electorate of Murray includes more than 1000km of border with Victoria.
Mrs Dalton said the Victorian government's sudden decision to close its border with NSW on New Year's Eve caused chaos for residents across her electorate.
"How do tens of thousands of cars rushing towards the Victorian border enhance public safety?" Mrs Dalton asked.
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"We haven't even recovered from the NSW government's border closure, then we were hit with this.
"It's ironic on the day Scott Morrison celebrated Australia as the 'we are one' nation, state governments were putting up barriers and dividing families."
Mrs Dalton said the latest border closure was devastating for tourism operators in border towns, saying the federal government needed to step in with financial packages.
In July, Mrs Dalton joined with Victorian border MPs Ali Cupper and Tania Maxwell in writing to the Prime Minister, asking him to intervene on what they said was the NSW government's "harsh border closure".
"I'm happy to work with all border MPs to bring a plan to the Prime Minister and help with the details," she said.
"The federal government is quick to intervene on state issues like water, health and education. Why is it staying out of this mess?"