At the start of 2020, most people in Kaniva would hardly have noticed they lived on a state border.
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Then the pandemic began, and that all changed.
As a town hairdresser, Prudence Munn has heard the many ways Kaniva residents have been affected by the border's closure to all but essential travellers since March. It's for this reason she supports the idea of a "travel bubble" in the area.
"A travel bubble would be great, because it's affecting people's mental health," she said.
Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell suggested the idea on Tuesday, and has received support from Victorian South West Coast MP Roma Britnell.
Mrs Munn said residents were concerned they would be turned away when trying to cross the border for essential activities.
"The South Australian government told us if we were border communities it wouldn't affect us, because we could get border passes, and they wouldn't stop us travelling," she said.
"I had a client who had a recall on her Mazda, so she booked her car in to the dealer at Bordertown to fix the recall, and got sent home from the border and told to go to Horsham.
"I have a client from Bordertown who has a mother in her 60s that lives in Kaniva alone. She rang the police in Bordertown and said 'Can I come to Kaniva?' and they said no, not without quarantining for 14 days once they came home."
Both the West Wimmera Shire and Tatiara council areas have recorded one case of COVID-19.
Mrs Munn travels to Bordertown for chiropractor consultatations. She said Kaniva residents treated Bordertown like a second community, given it had banks, a shoe shop, car dealers, restaurants, a vet and sports teams that the Victorian town didn't.
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"Some people go to the doctor there because in Kaniva up until recently, we've had a high turnover of doctors, so people wanted continued service with the same doctor," she said. "It's only 30 minutes to Bordertown.
"I have a business, I would like to go to Adelaide and get supplies. I travel that way much more because it's a lot closer than Melbourne. But I can't go to Adelaide and get supplies for my business and new scarves, because I'm not allowed to go any further than Bordertown. You're only allowed to go within your community."
Mrs Munn has been trading continuously through the pandemic though has not accepted any new customers.
New process for entering South Australia
From next Wednesday, people will need to formally apply online seeking exemption or essential traveller status before entering South Australia.
A SA police spokeswoman said: "We are still working through the detail of that which is not available at this time. However this information will be provided once that is approved and settled. This is likely to be early next week. We will advise once that is available."
Mrs Munn said border residents should not have to undergo this process.
"I don't see why people can't just wave their pass and go about their business," she said. "If someone is sick... you can't organise a week in advance if you need to go to the doctor."
West Wimmera Shire Mayor Bruce Meyer said the council had not been involved in discussions over a potenital travel bubble at this stage.
"We're quite comfortable with the current arrangement of exemptions and happy for it to continue," he said.
"But we don't want the area flooded: If it's also a tourism bubble... that is not a workable situation."
Cr Meyer also said it would be "inconvenient" for border residents to have to go through pre-approval to travel to South Australia.
The Mail-Times has contacted Member for Lowan Emma Kealy for comment.
Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
