Federal member for Mallee, Anne Webster, says that the announcement by the Victorian Premier is a great win for regional Victorians who have been unjustly hurt by state-wide lockdowns.

“The announcement from the Premier that the regional Victorian lockdown will be lifted from midnight rights a wrong for regional communities.

“This lockdown was based on incorrect data and should have been lifted much sooner. We have suffered under unnecessary and disproportionate lockdowns over the last 16 months. The state government must learn from its past actions and realise it needs to treat the regions with more respect and consideration.

Regional communities have shown they are willing to comply and assist in testing and tracing and lockdown, when required, but not when there is no evidence of COVID in our communities.

“On the weekend I wrote to the Premier urging him to lift the lockdown in regional communities. It is a great result to see it lifted today.  I also urged him to put a ring of steel around Melbourne or the localised areas where COVID is present.

“The only way for regional Victoria businesses and communities to survive the pandemic is for the government to adopt a targeted measured approach, and for everyone to get out, roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated.”