Lockdown may be extended in Greater Sydney for another week, but any potential home buyer from the area can legally visit Wagga under a restriction "loophole" real estate agents say has left their hands tied.
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NSW Health has confirmed that under public health orders, residents of Greater Sydney must comply with stay at home orders until Friday, July 17 unless travel falls under a "reasonable excuse" which includes "inspecting a potential new place of residence" but not "taking a holiday".
Under the exemption, metro home buyers who have flocked to Wagga since the first lockdown in March 2020, can continue to inspect future homes in Wagga, in person.
One Agency's Holly Newbigging said the rules don't give Wagga agents much choice.
"If they're legally allowed to come to Wagga there's not much we can do about," Mrs Newbigging said.
Wagga Real Estate's Greg Chamberlain said the exemption is an unnecessary "loophole" at this stage of the lockdown.
"As agents we have plenty of facilities in place," he said. "With Zoom, floor plans and video tours it is really not necessary to visit in person."
Wagga Mayor Greg Conkey called the allowance "mind boggling" saying it puts the whole Wagga community at risk.
"It's just ludicrous, it gives anyone the chance to move out of Sydney by saying they want to see a house, it is unbelievable," Cr Conkey said.
"We don't want them in rural and regional NSW... [it is] just ridiculous that they would even contemplate something along those lines."
Cr Conkey also pointed out that road safety authorities advise cars to stop every few hours on a long trip.
"They'll call in for a coffee, they'll call in for a meal, they'll call in for fuel," Cr Conkey said.
"They've got to do that, most vehicles wouldn't be able to drive from Sydney to Wagga and back without stopping, it is a 10 hour round trip.
"There's a safety issue if they don't stop every couple of hours, [so] not only will they impact Wagga, but all the other locations on the way."
Mr Chamberlain agreed the journey to Wagga will put the wider community at risk.
"It really falls back on the state government to set hard and fast rules," he said.
Mrs Newbigging said she has had enquiry from Greater Sydney since the lockdown began on June 26.
"I had someone wanting to come from the Blue Mountains, so I gave one of my vendors the option and she said, 'Until such time as they are not under lockdown they're not coming to my house,'" she said.
"It's not my decision, the owner has the right to know who is viewing their property... [and] then it's completely up to them, I leave it in their court."
Mr Chamberlain said he too deferred to vendors, unless the property is tenanted in which case it is "off limits" to Sydneysiders. He added that if lockdown is extended for a significant length of time, there may be cases where it would be reasonable for Sydneysiders to visit Wagga in order to secure a home.
So far, neither agent had had a lockdown buyer show up in person for an open home, but both agreed if, or when, it happens, it will put them in a compromising spot.
"It 100 per cent puts [agents] firmly in the firing line, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't," Mr Chamberlain said.
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