STATE Member for Northern Victoria, Wendy Lovell, and Federal Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum, are calling on the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, to ensure non-essential travel out of Melbourne is policed effectively.
The calls came as the Government passed new laws that allow police to fine people up to $4,957 who try to travel to regional Victoria from metroplitan Melbourne without an appropriate reason.
Existing checkpoints around metropolitan Melbourne will be strengthened and new pop-up checkpoints will be set up on regional backroads
Victoria Police deputy commissioner of regional operations, Rick Nugent, said there was a risk people from Melbourne will again try to travel to regional areas after restrictions eased from last Thursday.
“We don’t want the virus to spread again in the rural areas,” he said.
“So that is quite a significant fine, and clearly aimed to deter people from the Melbourne metropolitan areas from attending these regional and rural areas.
“We do not want regional and rural communities to be put at risk by Melbourne metropolitan people.”
Mr Drum has called for a permit system to be implemented, similar to that used on the NSW-Victorian border.
“Anything short of a permit system runs the risk of the virus being brought into the regions as it did in July when Mr Andrews’ so-called ‘ring of steel’ in fact turned out to be nothing more than a ring of marshmallow,” Mr Drum said.
Ms Lovell drew attention to the lack of police presence on the regional V/Line network, which she described as a ‘free-for-all’.
“The Premier must guarantee that every vehicle will be stopped, every train passenger questioned, and every loophole removed,” she said.
“The Premier needs to ensure there is a solid ring of steel around Melbourne not one with more holes than a colander.”
