MANY residents along the SA-Vic border had been dreading August 21, ever since SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens announced big changes to border restrictions.
It left residents having to re-apply for exemptions to cross the border for work or to receive medical care, and wondering how far they'll need to travel for basic supplies like food and fuel. There's still huge uncertainty about what exemptions are being granted for.
We all appreciate that protecting public health must be front of mind at all times. And we've seen from Vic's bungled hotel quarantine system that we can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, so to speak, once this virus starts to spread.
But what I found disappointing was the communication surrounding the decision to harden the border closure. The announcement shocked so many people, and the follow-up support explanations have been sorely lacking. We've tried to obtain more details about how the government envisages this working, only to be sent the same old lines about exemption applications being considered on a case-by-case basis.
Related reading: Desperate SA-Vic border resident launches Cross Border Call Out
Public reaction might have been rather different if the decision-makers had taken the time to properly explain why such a move is needed, and detail exactly how exemption applications will be considered. They should have wanted to show they understand how building a virtual wall along a line on a map is going to turn people's lives upside down.
And it shouldn't take a letter from the Prime Minister for SA health authorities to show some compassion and reassure a Vic family that their daughter could continue to receive the essential medical care she needs in SA.
Perhaps the solution for cross-border residents is to enrol in a university course, since the government seems to be showing more compassion for international students than those just across the border.
It's not that I don't support the notion of the SA government taking every measure it deems necessary to protect my family and friends. But what I don't support is compassion and clear communication being pushed so far down the priority list.
It might sound blunt, but the way I see it, the government's decision means those just across the Vic border are being expected to give up their way of life to protect ours.
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