CONTROL MEASURES: Strict enforcement of South Australia's hard border has caught out another Victorian farmer.
South Australia's stringent border controls have netted another resident, after Netherby farmer Chris Schnaars was stopped trying to get a tractor just cross the state line to a Bordertown machinery dealer.
Mr Schnaars, a grain and hay grower, had arranged to take the tractor to Wise Farm Equipment
But South Australian police prevented him from taking it to their workshop, which is just over the Victorian border, on the Dukes Highway.
"The plan was to drive it to the border, then the boys from Wise would jump in and drive it across to the workshop," Mr Schnaars said.
"Because I live more than 40kilometres from the border, I can't get a pass - I tried three times, and they denied me three times.
"They knocked me back, even though I come from a shire (Hindmarsh) that has no COVID-19 cases."
Well what a stuffed up country we live in cant get tractor across border coz i from further than 40klm. Ag dealership cant walk 20 metre into Vic to drive it to dealership how bloody rediculous people in power need pull heads out there arse and understand how ag works.#numbskullspic.twitter.com/xxfRmWdtIQ
— Chris schnaars (@schnaars_chris) August 25, 2020
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Mr Schnaars said he wanted Wise to fit a baler to the tractor and would have to go through the same proceedure, in a few days time.
The police stopped the staff member from Wise coming into Victoria, as he didn't have a permit.
"The dealership can't get a permit because they don't have land, on either side of the border, so they can get across," he said.
"It's not the coppers fault, I told them they were only doing their job."
Eventually, he contacted another farmer who had a permit, to get the tractor to the dealership.
It's bloody ridiculous, all I wanted to do was get to the other side of the line."
Wise Farm Equipment declined to comment.
South Australian police has been contacted for comment.
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The story Border blues for another Victorian farmer first appeared on Stock & Land.
