THE region's agricultural businesses are set to be allowed to work in both NSW and Queensland thanks to new border exemptions.
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In a major win for the sector, farmers and agribusinesses from Northern NSW will be allowed to enter Queensland for business or to tend to properties.
Under the new exemptions, agribusinesses will be required to have a plan in place to prevent the introduction and transmission of COVID-19.
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Northern Tablelands MP and NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the new exemptions were a "common-sense solution" to the border issue.
"This is really good news for our region and should ensure harvest can go ahead without any problems," Mr Marshall said.
"Under the exemption, NSW residents are able to enter Queensland to perform essential agribusiness services for the supply chain or to provide care for livestock.
"Those operators needing to cross the border must provide a copy of the Chief Health Officer (CHO)'s class exemption letter, personal identification with address and evidence they are an agribusiness essential worker, either through a letter of employment, business contract, evidence of property ownership or lease."
Moree's National Ag owner Colin Underwood said the exemptions were a confidence booster for local businesses.
"It's just nice to know we will be able to get across the border to deliver our goods and services," Mr Underwood said.
"There just wasn't enough confidence for people to be able to say they could deliver on an order and it really looked like hurting a lot of people's businesses."
The exemptions come after the NSW and Victorian governments pushed the National Cabinet to formulate a National Agricultural Workers' Code, which would ensure consistent principles for the agricultural sector and the movement of critical agricultural workers across state borders.
NSW Farmers' president James Jackson said it was vital the border issues were resolved ahead of this year's harvest.
"We've been lobbying for this type of commonsense approach and Adam Marshall deserves a lot of credit for helping to make this happen," Mr Jackson said.
"A lot of people haven't been able to bank a crop for a long time, so it would have been absolutely catastrophic if we had lost this crop due to some of the border restrictions.
"It's important to ensure the confidence is there for those working in the agriculture sector, but on the other hand, it's vital those crossing borders be responsible and do their bit to help stop the spread."
Copies of the CHO's class exemption letter are available at council offices and police stations in border bubble towns.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
