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Health | September 15, 2021

More vax hubs for Melbourne, but cross-border communities miss out again

The Premier has once again ignored the needs of cross-border communities with his announcement that the government will prioritise vaccination hubs in Melbourne rather than regional areas.

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said the failure to provide sufficient vaccination opportunities to allow those who want to be vaccinated to do so was just another example of the Premier for Melbourne’s city-centric view and neglect of vulnerable cross-border community members.

“While we have successfully lobbied for border community members to be exempt from the 24 September vaccination deadline announced by the South Australian Government, there is little doubt this is not a permanent exemption and that cross-border members will, in time, need to be fully vaccinated to cross the border,” Ms Kealy said.

“Daniel Andrews has an ample supply of vaccine doses available in Victoria, but the Andrews Labor Government is dragging the chain and has no plan to rapidly vaccinate this important cohort of Victorians.

“We know that a vaccination hub is needed now at the Nhill trailer exchange to support the freight and logistics industry.

“The South Australian Government is supporting our calls and has approached the Victorian Government to establish a pop-up vaccination hub in Nhill to support these industries and other cross-border community members who want to be vaccinated.

“But it is becoming increasingly obvious that the Andrews Labor Government is simply not interested in providing the opportunity for our cross-border community members to get vaccinated.

“We’re simply asking for our fair share and for a plan to vaccinate cross-border community members to allow us to live, work and get an education, as is the right of every Victorian.”