Roy questions “essential” workers in regional NSW

ROY Butler, Member for Barwon, has described a tennis match of emails with NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard as he tried to make sense of the government’s rules around essential Sydney workers in regional New South Wales.

Mr Butler said it was only a matter of time until a case, like the one in Goulburn was detected and said he is still concerned there will be more cases in regional New South Wales which are currently undetected.

“If I travel to Sydney for essential work, when I come home I have to be in self-isolation for 14 days, but if I live in Sydney I can travel to regional New South Wales for essential work and I can just go and not tell anyone,” Roy said.

“What constitutes “essential” is subjective and it may be different from me to you,” he said.

“Look at the rules around leaving your home in Sydney, only one person a day can go to get groceries, but if they consider their trip to regional New South Wales as essential for work, they can just go.

“The average punter doesn’t understand that and neither do I, that’s why I’ve been having emails back and forth with Brad Hazzard.

Roy Butler, Member for Barwon is concerned protections are not in place for regional NSW.

“I’ve been asking for at least a test before they travel, it only takes a day for tests to be returned in Sydney and then at least there is some protection for everyone.

“The transport industry is essential, but I don’t have concerns about them as they are regulated and they have strict procedures in place.

“They are the kind of workers who go and load up and drive out, they don’t stop and go to the movies, go to a club and a restaurant, but when an essential worker from Sydney comes to regional New South Wales, they can do whatever they consider “essential” like going tot he local cafe for a coffee,” he said.

“I hope that the media conference today they announce some proper regulation around this,” Roy Butler said.