Moyne Shire Council asks Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to ease regional coronavirus restrictions

Shire mayor Daniel Meade successfully moved an urgent motion at the council's June meeting to ask the Premier to ease restrictions previously planned to lift this week before a new spike in virus cases.

But one councillor spoke strongly against the motion, which he described as "one of the most ludicrous things to come up" in his time on council.

Cr Meade said all new COVID-19 cases were in Melbourne and his motion was to help "small businesses open up as soon as possible" in rural areas.

"It's unfortunate the poor behaviour of a few in metropolitan Melbourne disadvantages the rest of rural Victoria," he said.

"There have been no cases in south-west Victoria for over 12 weeks now. Businesses had geared up to go from 20 to 50 (patrons).

"I believe it is urgent that we help our small businesses open up as soon as possible."

The move is a significant shift in tone for the council and Cr Meade, who have publicly supported Victorian health authorities' advice since the restrictions came into effect this year.

Days of new Victorian virus cases reaching double figures forced Premier Andrews to delay easing restrictions that would have let venues host 50 people in each inside space on Monday.

He had previously said authorities were looking at easing restrictions for some regional areas before cities.

Cr Jordan Lockett, the only councillor to vote against the motion, said easing rural restrictions was a "possible disaster" and the motion lacked feedback from the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Today I phoned somebody from DHHS and they said it would be a ludicrous thing to do," Cr Lockett said.

He said the motion put lives at risk. "Whose lives are at stake? The elderly, the vulnerable people with comorbidity, Indigenous populations, there is a plethora of reasons not to do it," Cr Lockett said.

He cited figures that said if restrictions went backwards it could cost the Victorian economy $9 billion.

"It could draw out the process and take longer to recover," Cr Lockett said.

Cr Meade said the motion was "about opening rural Victoria for rural Victorians" and required people remain in local government areas where virus outbreaks had occurred.

Cr Jim Doukas, who with councillors Mick Wolfe, Ian Smith and Jill Parker supported the motion, said rural Victorians weren't being heard.

"All those public services that are still getting their pay ... it's alright for them to say 'stop opening the doors'," he said.

"Private businesses, mum and dad enterprises, it's time we looked after them.

"Give the rural community a chance to survive."

Cr Colin Ryan was absent from the meeting.

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