Melbourne’s ‘ring of steel’ angers country Victorians amid rising regional cases
Scores of motorists are being waved through regional checkpoints across the state — with angry country Victorians slamming the “ring of steel” and relabelling it a “ring of marshmallow”.
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Scores of motorists are being waved through regional checkpoints across the state.
Angry country Victorians have slammed a “ring of steel” set up to keep Melburnians out of the regions, dubbing it a ring of marshmallow.
They say Melburnians are being given free passage into country areas, and risk bringing the coronavirus with them.
It comes amid increased concern about rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in regional areas, especially Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.
Checkpoints around Melbourne were set up around Melbourne last month to stop illegal travel into the regions.
Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton warned booze bus-style operations and automotive number plate recognition would catch illegal travel.
“It won’t be an absolute ring of steel, but there will be a significant police presence and a whole amount of those main arterial roads you’d expect to see on the Hume Freeway heading out to the Calder, going down to Geelong, heading to Gippsland,” he said at the time.
But critics of the system say scores of motorists are being allowed to pass the checkpoint while police check just a fraction of vehicles.
“They pull over about five cars at a time to question, once they have five cars they just let everyone else go through unchecked,” one regular regional traveller said.
Nationals MP Damian Drum said he was furious with the system.
“Regional Victoria now has over 450 cases and this is directly applicable to the growing problem,” he said.
“There are around 1.5 million Victorians who live in the regions. Every single one of these people deserved to be protected from the virus spreading into their city, town or community.
“People are dying in the regions, and businesses are being shut down as Melburnians continue to defy the stay at home orders,” he said.
Daniel Andrews said while the regional number was small in comparison, the rate at which it was increasing was concerning.
Ballarat has had the highest growth rate in the past week.
Authorities are closely monitoring the escalation in cases and have flagged a potential increasing of restrictions in some areas.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology was in use at checkpoints.
Mobile police vehicles across the state were also using the technology to assist in enforcing the CHO restrictions.
“We know the majority of people in our community have been doing the right thing and we ask that everyone continues to abide by the Chief Health Officer’s restrictions,” she said.
“However, if you choose to blatantly and deliberately breach the directions of the Chief Health Officer, you will receive an infringement notice. It is crucial we all abide by these measures for the health of every Victorian.”
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