Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell has predicted dire ramifications for Moyne's economy following the release of the coronavirus recovery roadmap by the state government on Sunday.
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Ms Britnell said much of regional Victoria already qualifies for the roadmap's "last step" which will be triggered when there are no new cases for 14 days.
"But unfortunately we are reliant on Melbourne's figures to move to that step," Ms Britnell said.
"That means until there are no new cases for 14 days across the whole state, pubs and restaurants won't be able to open to dine in meals and businesses like beauty therapy will remain shut.
"These are family owned small businesses, run by mums and dads.
"They are being forced to stay closed despite being in a region where there are minimal cases and no community transmission."
Ms Britnell said Moyne Shire hadn't recorded a new case of coronavirus.
"State-wide, 31 country local government areas have not had a new case for at least two weeks, and three local government areas have never had a COVID case," she said.
"Vast swathes of regional Victoria already qualify for the final step, but we are being tied to figures in the city.
"My fear is Metro Melbourne is going to be a millstone around the neck of local businesses.
"There needs to be some distinction between regional Victoria and the city - one size does not fit all.
"I am fully aware measure will need to be in place for months to come to protect people's health, but there needs to be a common sense and tailored approach.
"How we manage and control outbreaks will be the key.
"Locally, we have already shown how that can be done - our local health services, businesses and the community worked quickly to contain outbreaks. There is a way to open up cautiously, so we can restart the economy and not compromise health - unfortunately, the government isn't allowing us to take those steps with this roadmap."
