Wimmera farmers say ongoing pandemic-related border closures are creating logistical nightmares.
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It comes as South Australia prepares to close its border to even nearby Victorian residents from next week, and the Victorian Farmers Federation continues discussions to secure passage for primary producers.
Graeme Maher, the Lubeck and Halls Gap-based president of the VFF's Wimmera branch, said the closure of a Melbourne abattoir had prompted sheep producers to send their livestock to Bordertown (South Australia) and New South Wales for processing.
"Work out the logistics of that," he said.
"They plan to keep working, but if it becomes too problematic to get people over the border, then how are we going to get sheep to Bordertown?
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"I get machinery serviced at Naracoorte, so I have to work out how to have that happen. Parts and shearing teams also come out of South Australia, shearing teams as a rule now have a base and travel half an hour to an hour to shear.
"If you're running a shearing team out of Edenhope or Nhill, imagine what that means?
"I go in for a pre-lambing shear six weeks before they lamb, and that has so many benefits for the sheep and lambs.
"If you can't get shearing teams, then you start going closer to lambing, and the complications are just mind-blowing.
"Every year, usually a lot of sheep (pregnancy) scanners come over from New Zealand and we won't have them this year either, so it's a problem.
"My scanner has gone from doing 80 or 90,000 sheep a year to 140,000, and he's run ragged, and he's also subcontracting out for a person in Naracoorte who can't do it."
Mr Maher said it was too early to estimate how significant an effect the disruption to machinery and labour supply networks could have on the Wimmera's economy.
He also said the closures were beginning to take a mental toll, as he had been unable to see his son in South Australia and daughter in Western Australia.
He said livestock trucking businesses would find it hard to get coronavirus tests every week, which drivers need to be able to cross the South Australian border.
VFF president David Jochinke, of Murra Warra, said he had been in regular discussions with Premier Daniel Andrews and Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes about the situation for farmers.
He is hopeful a solution is close.
"Our ultimate aim is a point-to-point permit for agriculture, so you can cross a border and get your job done before coming back again," he said.
"Everybody understands the situation, but I'm not 100 per cent sure of the gumption to get it resolved on behalf of South Australia and New South Wales.
"There is a farmer at Clear Lake that has been having trouble getting to his Frances property, for example. If you're near the border, it's been fine until now, but if you're outside, there is no chance.
"Generally, farms that expand in their area are fortunate, but a lot expand to different regions to access different climatic zones or to offset the core part of heir farm. Because of that, they sometimes travel hundreds of kilometres."
Mr Jochinke said the challenges faced by Wimmera farmers were similar to those of council staff.
On Friday, West Wimmera Shire chief executive David Leahy said he met with the Cross-Border Commissioner and other affected council leaders on Thursday.
"We still don't have a lot of answers, unfortunately, but we are doing our best to get them," he said.
"We have many staff members that live across the border, and unfortunately, there is no easy fix for them. We think many of them won't be able to cross the border for work purposes."
Many staff members are now looking for alternative accommodation in Victoria.
On Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews said he had been in discussions with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian about different arrangements or permits for primary producers.
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