Lockdowns and overseas trips keep Wannon MP Dan Tehan from visiting electorate

But Mr Tehan said the absence, while frustrating, had not stopped him from meeting with constituents virtually about electoral issues.

Mr Tehan, who is Australia's Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister, travelled to Asia and the United States in July and then completed two weeks of quarantine on returning.

Then he has attended Parliament sitting weeks this month, which have continued despite a Canberra lockdown that will last at least another week.

"For me to return to Victoria at this stage I will need a permission slip and I have to go and do a further two weeks isolation," Mr Tehan said.

He said the seven-week period had been his "most extended" time away from Wannon since the pandemic started after spending the majority of his time last year in the electorate.

"It frustrates me incredibly; there is nothing I enjoy more than getting out and enjoying the wonderful sites of my electorate," Mr Tehan said.

But he said he could meet with more people than usual thanks to the uptake in virtual meetings.

"Probably it's meant in a way I have been able to do more, because as you know with 34,000 square kilometres to travel around, those times you would be in the car you can be talking and meeting with people," Mr Tehan said.

"Last week I was talking to a group of businesses from in around Warrnambool, and I'll be talking to local travel agents this week. It's very much business as usual."

Mr Tehan last visited the electorate when he announced a further $7 million for Warrnambool's Deakin University campus' Hycel hub. "Now (there is) uncertainty as to returning to Victoria and what will happen with future parliamentary sitting weeks," he said.

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