Ballarat and most of regional Victorian residents can indeed still drive through affected areas of Melbourne to visit relatives or go on holidays on the other side of the state, despite new lockdown measures which come into place tonight.

The lockdown measures, which will see all Melbourne council areas and the Mitchell Shire north of the city, will almost cut the state in half.

LOCKDOWN: How will the Melbourne boundary lockdown be enforced?

While there are no further restrictions on the rest of the state, concerns have been raised over the barriers which cut off the city from the regions.

However, the state government has confirmed that residents living in unaffected areas will be able to travel across the state, provided they do not stop in affected areas.

Don't want to drive through locked down areas? This might be the shortest way.

Had this not been the case, a usual three hour trip to Gippsland for Ballarat residents of around about 250km would instead require drivers to travel through Heathcote, Euroa and Mansfield, more than doubling the usual trip to more than seven hours.

The state government has also said there will be no restrictions on regional Victorians visiting other areas of the state including state parks and tourist attractions such as the Great Ocean Road.

The state government said Victorians outside the Melbourne metropolitan area and Shire of Mitchell are being asked to use common sense when it comes to visiting friends and family, especially those who are more vulnerable.

"That means seeing only those you need to - if you need to," a spokesperson said.

"If you need to travel through the Melbourne metropolitan area and the Shire of Mitchell, you can.

"You should plan your trip so that you don't need to stop in an impacted area unless it is for one of the three reasons."

So, we recommend getting a full tank of petrol (and some snacks of course), before you get anywhere near Melbourne.

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