Regional Victoria on edge as Melburnians continue to flout lockdown rules

Melburnians should be ashamed for sneaking into regional Victoria via a public transport “loophole” as Shepparton battles to control its latest cluster.

Community leaders say Melburnians should be ashamed for sneaking into regional Victoria via a public transport “loophole” as Shepparton battles to control its latest cluster.

Seventeen positive cases of Covid were confirmed in Shepparton on Friday — the first regional Victorian cases in 20 days — as Melburnians continue to flout lockdown rules by travelling to country areas.

Community and business leaders say more needs to be done to deter Melburnians including reintroducing the ring of steel to separate the city from the regions.

Bendigo Tourism chairman Finn Vedelsby said he had received reports from a fellow hospitality owner who was forced to turn away more than 50 Melburnians over four days.

“I heard horror stories of people turning Melburnians away in droves,” he said.

“Shame on you if you are doing the wrong thing. Everyone knows what the rules are.”

Daylesford hospitality venues reported a large number of Melburnians flocking to the popular tourist destination last week, with staff abused for refusing service.

Mr Vedelsby, The Dispensary Bendigo owner, said the initial lockdown health messaging was not clear, and it took days for regional businesses to be told they had to check IDs.

“I was quite against it when it first started,” Mr Vedelsby said.

“But it made me more friends than I realised.”

Mr Vedelsby said Bendigo residents were so scared of the Melbourne outbreak that there were few complaints.

However, Mr Vedelsby said the system was far from perfect, as it put his staff at risk of abuse and turned away many valid customers.

Mr Vedelsby said there were many people living in Bendigo who had IDs with Melbourne addresses.

“We have doctors on three month rural rotations blocked from our restaurant,” he said.

“It‘s horrible to tarnish everyone with the same brush.

“It goes against all my training for the past 25 years to be that barrier — I‘ve trained to be welcoming.

“For us, it‘s going against our (Bendigo) culture and against our industry.”

Mr Vedelsby said he and fellow business owners would be talking to Victoria Police on Monday to discuss better ways of targeting misbehaving Melburnians.

He said he would be supportive of the ring of steel returning, even just around major regional centres like Bendigo.

“There‘s only a few roads in (to Bendigo),” he said.

V/Line trains from Melbourne to regional Victoria need stronger scrutiny to keep Melburnians from flouting lockdown rules.

Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell said V/Line services to Warrnambool were an open loophole for people travelling to regional Victoria from Melbourne.

Ms Britnell said she first raised the issue with the Victorian Government also 12 months ago during the state’s second wave lockdowns.

“I’m really concerned that these long-haul public transport services are a free ride for people to get out of the lockdown city and to regional Victoria,” she said.

“Our community has worked really hard over the past year to remain Covid free, we have been through lockdowns and lived with restrictions, the last thing any of us want is someone who shouldn’t be here being able to arrive freely, without any checks.”

City of Ballarat councillor Ben Taylor, a former mayor, echoed Ms Britnell’s call.

“Last year, there was more emphasis on putting a halt to movement in and out of Melbourne, which included police checking id’s at either end. Why is this not being done again?” Cr Taylor said on Friday.

“More checks need to be done at train and bus stations; it’s too easy for someone from Melbourne to sneak into Ballarat and jeopardise our safety.

Ballarat councillor Ben Taylor says more checks are needed on trains out of Melbourne. Picture supplied.

“People are doing the right thing in checking into hospitality venues in town. Why isn’t this being done at train stations?

“We can’t afford another lockdown in Ballarat, and we want people to follow the rules and do the right thing.”

Ms Britnell said V/Line services needed QR code check-in’s for contact tracing.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said transit police were patrolling the public transport network to enforce the Chief Health Officer’s directions.

“This includes monitoring major transport hubs and arterials, to ensure everyone travelling into regional Victoria is doing so for lawful reasons,” she said.

“Anyone who is deliberately, obviously or blatantly flouting these travel restrictions faces a fine of $5452.”

The spokeswoman said police and public safety officers (PSO) were providing a visible presence in key metropolitan Melbourne areas.

“PSOs will continue to be present at all premium railway stations between 6pm and the last train,” she said.

Nationals MP Danny O‘Brien, the Member for Gippsland South, said it was “bloody frustrating” that Melburnians were sneaking into regional areas.

“It’s also putting a lot of pressure on staff at Gippsland venues having to turn people away as some of them are less than co-operative,” he said.

“It’s just not fair that people doing the wrong thing then take their anger out on staff who are just following the rules.”

Mr O‘Brien said public transport users should be checked thoroughly.

“If regional cafes and hotels have to check the ID of their guests to ensure they’re not from Melbourne, why don’t state government agencies like V/Line do the same for people heading into the regions?”

Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said if the virus continued to spread an urgent reassessment of a ring of steel would need to take place.

“We don't want people panicking but we want to get this under control,” she said.

“Perhaps we need to do something about how people are transitioning between metropolitan and regional areas if the virus is spreading further.

“Three weeks ago Daniel Andrews was lecturing NSW about putting in a ring of steel in Sydney and now it has escaped the city in our own state.”