Police at freeway checkpoint
With the Cardinia Shire now part of the metropolitan lockdown, police have established a checkpoint near the Bunyip River to verify people entering Baw Baw Shire.
Residents in Bunyip, Garfield, Tynong, Iona, Catani, Tonimbuk and Modella are now under stay at home orders.
Police are patrolling the eastern boundaries of these area to ensure metropolitan residents do not travel into regional Victoria.
A couple from Docklands who were attempting to visit their holiday house on Phillip Island at 1.30am on Thursday were turned around at a police road block on the Princes Fwy near Longwarry North.
Chief commissioner Shane Patton told a media conference on Friday that the couple had already been turned around at a roadblock in Lang Lang earlier in the morning.
They were turned away at one vehicle checkpoint and given a warning, and then attempted to re-route before being stopped at the
Longwarry North vehicle checkpoint.
The driver was issued with a fine, and police intend to fine the passenger as well.
Cmr Patton said the couple was turned around at Lang Lang and advised to go home.
Referring to their second attempt to get to Phillip Island, Cmr Patton said that sort of conduct “would not be permitted.”
He said police would use number plate recognition to ensure people complied to the lockdown.
“We will be increasing enforcement to ensure that they do,’ he said.
If you live in Cardinia Shire, you only have four reasons to leave home – shopping for food and supplies; medical care and caregiving; exercise and recreation; and study and work – if you can’t do it from home.