Office of the Cross-Border Commissioner

Cross Border Commissioner

The Office of the NSW Cross Border Commissioner identifies and helps resolve issues that occur by being located near a state border.

James McTavish was appointed NSW Cross Border Commissioner in July 2014. As the Commissioner, he advocates for businesses, organisations and residents in border communities.

Important information about COVID-19 and border management.

Find out more – Frequently Asked Questions.

Update: On July 6, the NSW Premier announced the closure of the NSW border to those coming from Victoria. Exemptions, including those for residents of cross-border communities, are available and will be granted depending upon the circumstances of your proposed travel.

For further information on COVID-19 and restrictions in NSW please contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 or 02 8894 1555. Staff are contactable around the clock to point customers in the right direction via the 24/7 hotline.

A one stop shop for information on COVID-19 in NSW is also available at www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

How we help

We assist businesses, organisations and individuals who live, work and operate in cross-border areas of NSW by helping to connect them to the most appropriate agency to ensure their issue is addressed.

We are also working closely with the bordering states of NSW to gain an understanding of cross border issues and to develop a framework for the raising and resolution of cross border issues.

The Office of the NSW Cross Border Commissioner aims to achieve the best outcome for stakeholders by informing, connecting and advocating on behalf of NSW cross border communities. Our goals and strategies are outlined in the NSW Cross-Border Commissioner Business Plan 2015-18.

Working with Cross-Border Communities

Working with Victoria

The State Governments of both New South Wales and Victoria are developing a Cross-Border Agreement, confirming the commitment of each to working together on priority border issues.

The NSW Cross Border Commissioner works closely with Victoria’s Cross Border Commissioner, Mr Luke Wilson.

QLD-NSW Cross-Border agreement

On 27 January 2017 the NSW and Queensland Premiers announced the signing of the Queensland-NSW Statement of Principles and Priorities for Cross-Border Collaboration 2016-19.

The agreement is supported by an annually revised Work List and Annual Report to assist in the identification and progression of cross-border issues.

ACT-NSW Cross-Border agreement

On 9 December 2016 the NSW Premier and ACT Chief Minister signed the ACT-NSW Memorandum of Understanding for Regional Collaboration 2016-19 (PDF, 313 KB).

The agreement is supported by an annually revised 2018/19 Work Plan (PDF, 288 KB) and 2017/18 Annual Report (PDF, 469 KB) to assist in the identification and progression of cross-border issues.

Get in touch

We assist with a wide variety of concerns related to living or working near a border. If there is a cross border issue affecting your ability to live, work and operate, please let us know by completing this online form.

If you have a legal issue, the NSW Government provides a free government phone service for legal information, referrals and in some cases, advice for people who have a legal problem in NSW. For more information, go to the LawAccess NSW website or phone LawAccess NSW on 1300 888 529.

You can contact the Commissioner by:

For media enquiries contact 02 6926 8609.

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