When the news broke the state of emergency in Victoria would be declared until December, for already under-pressure operators the fear of the unknown was exacerbated. There’s no doubt many Victorians worry the state could be sent into a snap lockdown the moment there’s one single case.And we know this has already happened when the abrupt five-day lockdown across the entire state was declared by the Premier Daniel Andrews last month. The extended state of emergency gives the state government unprecedented powers to shut down Victoria with virtually no notice, with decisions based on health advice the public is not privy to see.Victorians deserve to know what is the reasoning behind locking down a family living in a tiny country town hundreds of kilometres of Melbourne where there’s never been a case.The overreach of the last lockdown saw Victorians confined to 5kms of their home regardless of whether they lived, whether it be in Melbourne, Mallacoota or Manangatang. How can businesses confidently grow their operations with the worry their livelihoods could be sent into a tailspin when news breaks of a single case? Even now when out and about, sneezing or coughing causes alarm, people step away – and it’s not even winter yet. Prominent chef, Phil Wood from Point Leo Estate, announced recently he was packing his bags and leaving Victoria – the border closures taking its toll.He’s one of many Victorians who have had enough. “We were once confident our friends and family were only a flight away, living in Melbourne now feels at times like living in a different country from Sydney,” Wood wrote on social media. There’s holes that can be picked in many of the systems controlling our lives and one is the random border permit system.I had a friend of mine from Sydney here during the week and I asked him if his pass was checked upon entering the airport. He didn’t even know what I was talking about – he’d entered the state without filling out the border permit – which faces fines starting from $1652 if you fail to comply. The system clearly is pointless if it’s not even being enforced. And as for WA Premier Mark McGowan, he was forced to backtrack on a plan to keep border restrictions in place well beyond the pandemic. Sadly, these premiers look set to have unlimited control over our lives for some time yet. sophie.elsworth@news.com.au@sophieelsworth
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