Scott Petersen has experienced first-hand someone from Greater Sydney attempting to flout COVID restrictions in an attempt to view a house near Orange.
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The agent from McGrath Real Estate said he recently had to put his foot down after a woman from Hawkesbury enquired about a home in Molong.
"If they're from Greater Sydney, we just say they're not allowed to come up here," he said.
"She was saying 'no no, I'm right to travel', but she slipped up and told me she needed to sort out accommodation and then I asked where she was coming from and she responded 'I'm fine', so I pushed her a little and when she told me she was from Hawkesbury I said you can't travel."
Some confusion has arisen regarding the government's most recent COVID lockdown policies.
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".
But for Mr Peterson and the rest of the McGrath team, that won't be happening.
"They can only come for settlement and to move in, they can't just come and inspect properties," he said.
"So if anyone wants to look at a property, they have to put all their details in and most people do the right thing, but there are others that just jump in the car and come up.
"But I certainly don't want to be the agent that introduces COVID to Orange, so if they're in the Greater Sydney region or anywhere in lockdown it's just not happening."
He added that he doesn't find it hard to say no to these people, who would know they are in the wrong.
"I just put it back on them because they know that they're in a lockdown and they shouldn't be travelling out of that area," he said.
"But there are a few with that carefree attitude that they're happy to come up there and they'll be right, but we're not happy to have you here.
"I'm really blunt, when the ban is lifted you're more than welcome to come up here but you will not be going through the property until then. If you're from that region it's not going to happen, full stop. There's a duty of care to our community, because just imagine the repercussions if they were carrying COVID."
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