The most southern council in NSW is saving up to lobby for a border bubble. 

Reports say the Murray River Council has set aside $100,000 to fund an advertising campaign for the reinstatement of a border bubble with Victoria.

The council was reportedly ready to roll the ads when the current COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak took hold in Sydney and Western NSW.

Mayor Chris Bilkey said the region has been COVID-free throughout the duration of the pandemic, but is still struggling.

“Border communities, particularly on the NSW side, have been subject to more lockdowns and border closures than Sydney or Melbourne combined because whenever something in one state or the other, we cop it,” he told the ABC.

“We've had over 300 days of affected trade and affected movement since March last year.  That's nearly a year's worth out of 18 months.”

The Murray Regional Tourism group says that from March 2020 to April 2021, communities along the Murray River lost $1 billion and 10,000 jobs.

“The border is shut except for very strict criteria, so all our businesses on this side of the river have simply shut up shop. It's devastating,” Cr Bilkey said. 

“The only saving grace we've had in the last two years has been that they have been kind years in terms of rainfall and agricultural production.

“That has kept some of the economy afloat. If it had not been for these two good years, we would literally be on our knees.”

Cr Bilkey said the council would use the campaign money when the NSW-wide lockdown ended and local communities are not at risk.