While travel restrictions on the border with Victoria are set to be eased over the next week, newly sworn in Eden-Monaro MP Kristy McBain said the changes don't go far enough.
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Ms McBain said while the proposed extension of the current 2.5km zone to 50km for border residents allowed to enter NSW with a permit was a "good start", the changes will still exclude Mallacoota residents from the state's new border "bubble".
The changes, announced by Deputy Premier John Barilaro on Tuesday, will allow those in the new zone to travel for work, education, care and to visit friends and family members.
Ms McBain said she had written to Mr Barilaro about her concerns, which she said also included Bega Valley abalone workers being excluded from the new exemption of 100km for agriculture workers.
She said offshore gas employees from the region have also not been able to gain an exemption to travel to the Sale region in Victoria for work, children from Bendoc are still unable to get to school in Bombala.
"Border restrictions are really causing distress and alarm for a host of people. While we all understand and accept the health advice related to COVID-19 some people's individual circumstances and needs are being lost," Ms McBain posted to social media on Tuesday.
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"I've been raising these matters with the Cross Border Commissioner and my colleagues in the NSW government."
Ms McBain said while it was a state issue, all levels of government need to "work together constructively", adding the Monaro MP has been receptive to the concerns.
"(The changes will) give more freedom for communities on both sides of the border to work, play and actually function as a community and in itself that is a significant change to what the current restriction is," Mr Barilaro said on Tuesday.
"We'll look at quarantine venues down on the South Coast, here on the Albury-Wodonga border and out west.
"We think it is a better option for people to be quarantining close to the border rather than flying into Sydney.
"Initially they will be focused on the ag workforce because we really want to make sure for those farmers who have done it tough in drought, who have struggled, want this bumper season...it's important they have the workforce so they can rebound."
Meanwhile, lobby group NSW Farmers is seeking an urgent exemption for farmers in NSW to travel into Victoria for essential agricultural activities.
"An agricultural permit system was announced last week to allow farm workers to travel from Victoria into NSW, which was a step forward, but farmers in NSW still can't travel to farms in Victoria," CEO Pete Arkle said.
"We have members who can't cross the border to look after their livestock herds in Victoria and are relying on the goodwill of their neighbours on Victorian properties to manage their livestock."
Mr Arkle said a recent survey found 90 per cent of border farm businesses had "felt an impact" from the border closures, with 66 per cent of the group's members needing to cross the border more than once a week.
He said the group supported the National Cabinet's decision to develop a national agricultural worker code and ensure security for the food supply chain.
"It clearly has to be a national approach to classing agriculture as essential service. The flow of labour and machinery and contractors is national, so the National Cabinet has made the right decision and we look forward to working with the NSW Government and the Agriculture Minister on having input into this code," he said.
"But farmers who need to get to their farms in Victoria cannot wait another two weeks for the development of national code.
"The Queensland border has movement both ways for essential agricultural activities and we call on the NSW Government to do the same for the Victorian border."
