MURRAY RIVER AMENDMENT FOR VICTORIAN RESIDENTS

The NSW Government has amended the Public Health (Border Control) Order 2020. The changes mean that all Victorian residents who are not covered by a Victorian Area Direction or a COVID Area of Concern (as specified by the Victorian Chief Health Officer) are able to use the Murray River as long as they do not disembark on the NSW side of the river. You can read the amended order here.

This amendment allows for Victorian residents, who have not been in a COVID-19 area of concern or subject to a Victoria Area Direction, to enter NSW for the purpose of accessing the Murray River only and not disembark on the NSW side. This would therefore include most of Regional Victoria but exclude Melbourne.

This amendment to the Public Health Order imposes an obligation on vessel operators on the Murray River to take reasonable steps to ensure that a person who has been in a COVID-19 area of concern or an area listed by the Victorian Area Direction does not enter the vessel while it is on the Murray River. You can see whether an area is listed in the Victorian Area Direction here.

If a person who has been in an area of concern or an area listed by the Victorian Area Direction does board a vessel that goes on the Murray River, the operator of the vessel must take reasonable steps to ensure that the passenger does not disembark on an embankment, dock, port or wharf on the NSW side of the Murray River. Please note, this requirement does not apply in case of an emergency.

The penalty for breach of this requirement is a maximum of 6 months imprisonment or a fine of up to $11,000 (or both).

Note that Victorian border residents holding Border Entry Permits may still alight in NSW.

For further information, visit the NSW Government Maritime website here.