State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell slammed Premier Daniel Andrews for failing to even reference regional Victoria in the announcement, which saw the easing of restrictions to step two for metropolitan Melbourne.
Ms Lovell said regional Victoria had recorded a 14-day average of just 0.6 cases, with 45 out of 48 regional local government areas having recorded no new cases in more than 14 days and 36 of those LGAs having recorded no new cases for at least 28 days.
Ms Lovell said the government should recognise the low number of cases in regional Victoria and allow rural communities to immediately move to the next step, titled Last Step, which would see more businesses open and more regional people back at work.
Ms Lovell also slammed Labor’s decision to ban scarves and bandanas from being used as face coverings, saying it was nonsense that such items were appropriate during the height of the second wave of the virus, but suddenly not appropriate with case numbers so low.
She also criticised the government for having its own epidemic of "selective amnesia" over who authorised the appointment of private security guards for the failed hotel isolation program.
Shadow minister for regional Victoria Peter Walsh said the government must release the shackles holding back regional Victoria's recovery by implementing NSW-level restrictions in country areas.
Mr Walsh said the government needed to urgently fast-track its roadmap out of lockdown for regional Victoria.
“Regional Victoria's 14-day average is at 0.3 (as of September 30), but unfairly harsh restrictions are still strangling the life out of small business and country communities,” Mr Walsh said.
“Our dance schools and gyms are closed, school students are spending more time out of the classroom, and cafés, restaurants and pubs are struggling to make ends meet under unworkably low capacity limits.”
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