John Pavitt is one of the few Melburnians who is allowed to break curfew, but the city he is waking up to has been transformed over the past month.
Victorians have been fined more than $2.9 million for breaking curfew over the past month, as the stage 4 lockdown has transformed the city of Melbourne.The highest day for curfew fines was a fortnight afterwas enforced. On Monday August 17, there were 89 fines for breaking curfew from the previous 24-hour period.
On his daily commute he used to see people running, walking their dogs or riding their bikes in the early hours. "But now, because of the curfew and people are working from home, it's like a different world … sort of like groundhog day, because every day seems like the same because there's no-one around."
"We would be aware that obviously people can't meet the curfew if they haven't got a home," said Jenny Smith, CEO of Council to Homeless Persons.The head of the state's peak homelessness body praised the Victorian Government for "leading the country" in giving significant additional funding that helped secure hotel accommodation for people experiencing homelessness during the stage 4 lockdown.
Homelessness agencies are concerned about people accumulating fines they can't repay and that could land them in custody, but Ms Smith said the police were being "as understanding as they are able to be" and showing discretion while still doing their job. He said police "will, for the most part, give appropriate warnings", and that the community had been "outstanding" with compliance.
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