"My message again today and every day to the Premier of Victoria is please understand the impact that the lockdown and these harsh restrictions are having on people's mental health," he said on Wednesday.
"Please give the people of Victoria their freedom back this weekend."
Health Minister Greg Hunt did not hold back, comparing NSW with Victoria when the two states had similar 14-day average case numbers.
"NSW was able to operate at a greater than 10-case rolling average for 24 days, during the latter part of July and the early part of August," he said.
It all comes as the rules used to keep Melburnians in lockdown are being flouted by individuals fed up after months of waiting for change.
The latest example is from Berwick, in Melbourne's southeast, where a clothing store owner opened his business despite the risk of a $10,000 fine.
Harry Hutchinson, from Harry's Clothing, was slammed by Victorians who have followed the rules while business advocacy groups celebrated him as a champion for lockdown change.
"I don't mean to be breaking the law, but I feel so strongly about small business surviving… they're doing it tough, I'm not the only one," he said in a recent interview.
"We've got to get back to work; the economy has got to survive."
Hutchinson said he could never have dreamt about the supportive response from Australians all over the country.
