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The NSW Government will reopen the border to Victoria at 12.01am on Monday, 23 November.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the reopening date should give people the confidence to make plans, book holidays and reunite with family members in the lead up to Christmas.
“I want to thank the community, particularly in our border towns, for their patience during what has been an extremely difficult time,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We have worked closely with the Victorian Government throughout the border closure and will continue to monitor the situation as restrictions are eased.
“Our policy in NSW is to keep moving forward and operating in a COVID-Safe manner – the reopening of the NSW/Victorian border is another step in the right direction.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said Monday, November 23 is two weeks from the Victorian Government removing the ‘ring of steel’ border around Melbourne, allowing Victorian residents to travel freely around the State.
“This will be good riddance to a border that COVID-19 forced on us,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Victorian and NSW residents’ efforts have ensured families and friends will be back together and businesses will operate freely but in a COVID-safe way.”
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said that NSW Health would continue to work closely with colleagues in Victoria and have strengthened processes to support contract tracing across the two States.
“Our priority will remain protecting the health and safety of the community,” Dr Chant said.

More alfresco dining, roving performances, chairs in squares and people meeting with friends and family at cafes and restaurants are all part of the vision of the NSW Government and City of Sydney partnership to revitalise the Sydney CBD this summer.
The NSW Government will provide $1.5 million to fund a CBD activation grant program as part of its $20 million partnership with the City of Sydney, which has now been signed.
The jointly funded $3 million program will support delivery of CBD activation grants of between $5,000 and $50,000 to businesses, creatives and community groups to encourage people back into the city centre.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said signing the funding agreement was part of the NSW Government’s COVID Recovery Plan and an important milestone in the State and City’s collaboration to support creative ideas that will boost business and reanimate the CBD.
“Sealing this deal with the Lord Mayor today is a real step toward bringing to life many of the ideas that came out of September’s Summer Summit,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This funding will turn ideas to action and encourage people into the CBD in a COVIDSafe way, which is key for businesses who rely on summer trading for a big part of their revenue.”
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said as more people returned to the city, businesses could continue to open their doors and support more jobs.
“We have partnered with City of Sydney to revitalise Australia’s jewel in the crown and we are committed to make sure our great city continues to shine,” Mr Ayres said.
“The CBD activation grants will support partnerships between retailers, cafes and restaurants with musicians, performers and artists, with the aim to attract and entertain visitors, and to revitalise spaces that have been underused since the pandemic began.”
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the new round of grants will help bring people back to the city.
“We need to allow and encourage businesses to operate outdoors, and we need to support our creative and cultural life to activate and draw people back to our city, safely,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
“We want to ensure our city businesses survive in the short term and create new opportunities for them to thrive in the long term.
“I encourage anyone who works in the city – from businesses and retailers, to hospitality and community services – to consider applying for a grant to help kick-start their operations, re-engage staff and bring people back into our city.”
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the NSW Government was committed to reactivating the Sydney CBD.
“When people think of Sydney, they should think of everything the outdoor lifestyle has to offer,” Mr Dominello said.
“We showed with the Alfresco Taskforce that we can move quickly to open up new dining and drinking opportunities heading into summer.”
The new grants follow the $72.5 million support package released by the City in March for small businesses, artists and the creative and community sectors impacted by the pandemic.
The City has also expanded to Surry Hills the popular Chairs in Squares program, waived fees for footway dining and health and building inspections, provided rental support for tenants and childcare services and brought forward $23 million of capital works to support construction in the city.
The Grants opened to businesses on 29 October and will close on 7 December and form part of the NSW Government’s $15 million contribution to the $20 million partnership with City of Sydney.
To find out more about the NSW Government’s $16 billion health and economic stimulus measures, please visit nsw.gov.au.

Time and cost savings, greater productivity, and increased flexibility are some of the benefits which could be realised by NSW workers and businesses after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council had this week released its NSW Remote Working Insights report, which unpacks the lessons of widespread remote working.
“This has been an incredibly tough time with huge upheaval and change for the NSW workforce. Thousands of jobs were lost through this crisis and those who kept working were put under immense pressure and had to adapt quickly. Many NSW workers and businesses were prompted to try remote working for the first time,” Mr Ayres said.
“The IPC’s report looks into what we learned from the experience, and how it could affect the future of work. While the NSW Government is now encouraging public servants to spend more time back in the office, we can expect long term changes to how our working week takes shape.”
IPC Member Steve Sammartino, an economist and futurist, said the report showed the pandemic has sparked a cultural shift on remote working, with many employees and businesses experiencing benefits and with more appetite to work remotely.
“The biggest benefit is the time we save from commuting, which on average is more than an hour a day. Reducing traffic congestion makes life better for everyone, even people who don’t work remotely,” Mr Sammartino said.
“We are also more productive when we work from home, with NSW remote workers
13 per cent more productive than when they work on-site.
“But COVID-19 pushed remote working to an unhealthy extreme, with a lot of work unable to be done remotely, it can get lonely, and collaboration is difficult.”
“In the future, NSW workers want the best of both worlds – a hybrid of remote and onsite work. Cities and offices will be buzzing again, and central business districts will be crucial for collaboration, innovation and consumption.”
The report surveyed 1,500 remote workers to find out about their experience of remote work during COVID-19, and what they want to do in the future.
The IPC also harnessed technology from Sydney-based artificial intelligence company Faethm to analyse the ‘remoteability’ of the NSW workforce, revealing what types of workers can work remotely, and to what extent.
Findings include:

• Half of the workforce can work remotely for at least two days a week, where only a small fraction did so previously.
• By working remotely, NSW workers save an average of 1 hour and 17 minutes per day from not commuting. Two days per week of remote work equates to over three extra weeks of annual leave, and about $860 in saved travel costs per year.
• Most who could work remotely reported higher productivity, but much work is not ‘remoteable’ (56 per cent), and collaboration and social isolation are key challenges for remote workers.
• NSW remote workers want a balance with two to three days of remote work per week.
• A ‘hybrid model’ could combine the best aspects of remote work with the benefits of offices for collaboration, team-building, and non-remoteable tasks.

For the full report, please visit https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/nsw-economy/nsw-innovation-and-productivity-council.