Border permit system struggle

Tuesday November 30, 2021

Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell’s office has been swamped by people needing help with changes to the interstate border permit system, brought into effect last week.

With confusion surrounding the need for COVID testing before entering SA, vaccination status passports and the EntryCheck SA system, Mr Bell described SA Health’s border permit system as “difficult and complex” and failing older South Australians.

“It’s a complex system that many people are clearly struggling with. We have had so many people walk through our doors in the last week needing help, it’s clear the system was not properly thought out before coming into effect,” he said.

“New state-wide systems require foresight and extra resourcing to implement and proper communication about how to use them.

“Not everyone is tech savvy or has the latest smartphones or people to walk them through the process.”

Mr Bell said it was unfair to penalise people who were lacking in digital knowledge or did not own a smartphone.

“There’s been some pretty big assumptions made by SA Health as to the digital capacity of South Australians living in regional areas,” he said.

Mr Bell said he would be highlighting the issue in State Parliament this week with Minister for Health Stephen Wade.

“If you’re going to put a system in place, it must be accessible to everyone,” he said.