A border closure has sparked concern among federal politicians based near the Victoria-NSW border as Melbourne's coronavirus cases continue to climb.
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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday announced the closure would come into place from midnight on Tuesday night.
Mr Andrews said the decision had been made during a phone hook-up with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
"I apologise for any inconvenience that will cause people who have unavoidable travel to NSW," he told reporters in Melbourne.
A permit system will operate for people needing to cross the border between towns like Albury and Wodonga to work or receive healthcare.
Victorian health authorities have uncovered 127 new cases, a record daily increase for the state.
The death of a man in his 90s has taken the national toll to 105 and Victoria's to 21.
Albury-based federal cabinet minister Sussan Ley warned a border closure was not workable with her hometown sharing a health service with Wodonga.
"It would be a real break on our regional economy," she told ABC radio.
"I don't want to see that, I want to see us coming out of COVID but obviously these lockdowns have to happen and we have to take the health advice to do that."
Wodonga-based Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said the decision could be devastating for regional areas.
"This is going to cause serve disruption right along our border communities between NSW and Victoria for an issue and a hotspot in Melbourne," she told Sky News.
She said 98 per cent of Victoria's cases had been in Melbourne, while Albury-Wodonga had been virus-free for 92 days.
Nationals senator Perin Davey - who is based in the NSW town of Deniliquin, which is close to Victoria - said the border closure would hit her community hard.
"Albury-Wodonga shares a health service. You've got all of these border towns, Echuca-Moama, Barooga and Cobram, they all share an economy," she told Sky News.
"It is not quite as simple as being able to draw a line in the sand and say you cannot cross this border."
Senator Davey said regional Australia had been largely coronavirus-free while major cities had seen outbreaks.
Meanwhile, Mr Andrews handling of coronavirus outbreaks is beginning to attract criticism from within Labor ranks.
The Victorian premier has come under fire after deciding to lock thousands of residents inside nine inner-city public housing towers for five days.
Federal Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon questioned the premier's performance.
"You can't win in politics but something has gone terribly wrong in Victoria," he told the Seven Network.
"Accountability will be important and it'll be interesting to see how that runs out."
Australian Associated Press
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