The travel ban was extended in a cabinet meeting on October 14, adding an extra two weeks to the originally anticipated date that 80 per cent of NSW residents would be vaccinated. The travel ban will now be lifted across the state on November 1.

Mayor Paul Maytom said that Leeton had to prioritise health and safety before the local economy.

"The rules are the rules, and our health is the most important thing," he said.

He added that without fully knowing how the numbers were being calculated, it was better to play it safe and not risk any outbreaks.

"Quite simply, an average of 80 per cent means there's highs and lows and we have to be mindful that regional travel could cause outbreaks ... There's no real checks and balances, I had my concerns before so I'm certainly in favour of whatever they can do to reduce that risk," he said.

READ MORE

Making the decision on October 14, the cabinet noted that many regional LGA's have lower vaccination rates than metropolitan areas and that opening up too soon could introduce COVID-19 to unvaccinated populations.

"It's important that we don't actually open up businesses and then ... case numbers escalate putting those communities and those businesses in jeopardy," Deputy Premier Paul Toole said in an interview with Sydney Radio 2GB.

While over 80 per cent of the state is fully vaccinated, just over one in three local government areas has reported a vaccination rate of over that threshold.

"We need to make sure we lift the vaccination numbers and make sure that we have an actual average of 80 per cent and not a distorted one," Mayor Maytom said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: