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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Elliot Williams

Travelling to Melbourne to get to Canberra is 'just crazy'

The small town of Wonthaggi in Gippsland, Victoria, has temporarily become home to ACT resident Derek Flannery. Picture: Shutterstock

Canberrans are expressing their concerns and frustrations about potentially having to travel to coronavirus-ridden Melbourne to travel back to the territory.

ACT resident Derek Flannery travelled to Wonthaggi in Gippsland at the start of August after the death of his mother.

The night before the funeral the NSW government abruptly changed the laws allowing Canberrans to travel through NSW to return to the ACT.

He was told by NSW and ACT health authorities he had no option but to travel to Melbourne and fly to Canberra.

"I just thought that was crazy," Mr Flannery said.

"I'm 69 years old, I think it's an unnecessary risk. I'm clean, so to speak, and they want to send me to a hotspot and then onto Canberra."

If he had to fly home and leave his car in Victoria he was also frustrated at the possibility of being without it for months or having to have it transported back at a cost.

Mr Flannery has remained in the small town of Wonthaggi while he's been in Victoria and normally travelled via Bombala and Cooma onto Canberra to avoid Melbourne. He said it would not be a problem to not stop in any NSW towns on the trip home.

Up to 100 Canberrans are also stuck in Wodonga waiting a NSW government decision as to whether they will be allowed to travel home under police escort.

On Tuesday, acting chief medical officer Paul Kelly said in principle he thought it was unwise for people to travel to a hotspot if it could be avoided.

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