The number of cars being checked at regional Victorian police checkpoints has decreased over the weekend despite last week's commitment from the police to aim to "check every car".
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18,916 vehicles checked were at the vehicle checkpoints on Saturday, while 15,714 were checked across Sunday. Only 16 fines were issued as a result of these checks.
Both of these figures were lower than the numbers for the rest of the week, with over 20,000 vehicles being checked each day between Monday and Thursday. Due to an unknown error, Friday's vehicle check figures were not released.
While Victoria Police could not provide any comment on why the number of cars being checked had dropped, they applauded those doing the right thing during this time.
Ballarat Superintendent Jenny Wilson said she was pleased with how smoothly things went over the first weekend with tourists from other parts of regional Victoria back in Ballarat.
"Things went relatively smoothly," she said.
"It's great to see locals out supporting local businesses across the region. Police remain actively patrolling for COVID breaches and public order issues, we are doing our part to protect our community, we hope our local communities do the same. Together we will get past this pandemic."
A similar message was put forward by police members in Creswick and Daylesford, who added while there was an increase in visitors, they were from areas where travel is permitted.
A Victoria Police spokesperson continued to push the message that people in metropolitan Melbourne need to continue doing the right thing moving forward to keep regional Victoria safe.
We know that the majority of Victorians continue to do the right thing.
- A Victoria Police spokesperson.
"It is important to remember that the reasons for leaving your home in metropolitan Melbourne has not changed, and people who pass through vehicle checkpoints must only be doing so if they have a permitted reason.
"Anyone found to be blatantly and deliberately breaching the Chief Health Officer directions and travelling from metro Melbourne to regional Victoria without a lawful reason will be issued with a $4957 fine."
The mayor of the Hepburn Shire Council took to the streets at the weekend to see just how the region was faring with the eased restrictions.
After voicing her concern last week, mayor Licia Kokocinski said she was pleased with what she saw and heard in Hepburn.
"I did my fair share of driving around this weekend just to see how things were going in the region," Cr Kokocinski said.
"I went to the Trentham Market and spoke to people at both the Daylesford Market and Creswick Market... from everything I heard and saw, all the visitors to the region were either from a neighbouring municipality or were based locally.
"As well as that, just about everyone I noticed was doing the right thing; wearing a mask, social distancing, which is very encouraging."
Moving forward, she added a feeling of relief after seeing what was happening around the region.
"It has to have calmed the nerves to an extent," she continued.
"I think we were all holding our breath going into the weekend, especially being the first week of school holidays. I like to think that people are heeding the warnings from Victoria Police and staying home."
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