Locals 'erect a VERY rude sign telling tourists to stay away from their idyllic peninsula' to avoid spreading coronavirus - but is all as it seems?
- An aggressive sign was pictured on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria
- The image was posted on Facebook pages on Saturday and has since gone viral
- Some residents said that was the region's sentiment - while others said it was not
- But the photo could be a fake as a council inspection did not find the sign
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Angry locals from an idyllic peninsula have taken to social media to demand tourists stay away from their area to avoid spreading coronavirus.
An image appearing to show a large sign erected on the Mornington Peninsula freeway near Dromana, 75km south of Melbourne in Victoria has been widely shared online.
'If you don't live here f*** off,' the sign appeared to read.
An image of a rude sign on the Mornington Peninsula freeway near Dromana has caused heated debate online
'Fabulous. Shows that people are actually taking this new invisible disease seriously. Love the Aussie ''direct' manner'',' a woman posted on the Humans in Melbourne Facebook page.
'It's extraordinary people feel they are above the law… Stay home, not the holiday home... If anything happened the region hospitals are not equipped to cope,' another person wrote.
Residents claimed shopping facilities were still busy despite restrictions and urged holidaymakers to stay home, while another wrote that flyers with similar messages as the sign had been placed in letter boxes across the Victorian peninsula.
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Other locals were disgusted, and told people to ignore the message as it was not the true sentiment of Mornington Peninsula dwellers.
'I live in Rye, I'm appalled at this sign and what it represents,' one man wrote.
A woman added: 'This is NOT the feelings of everyone who lives here . Yes we want people to stay safe . But this is unacceptable and makes decent residents sad to see.'
But it turned out the photo was possibly a fake.
Some observant social media users pointed out the freeway now had a guard rail indicating the sign had been photoshopped into an old image.
Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Sam Hearn said it has been the quietest Easter he has ever seen in the region. Pictured: Mills Beach
Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Sam Hearn said council rangers were alerted to the photo not long after it was uploaded on the weekend and inspected the site soon after.
'There was no sign of that particular sign,' Cr Hearn told the Herald Sun.
'Unless it was put up, photographed, and then taken down immediately, I'd say it was likely never really there.'
A movement of towns urging tourists to keep away has been witnessed across the country, and worldwide, since the outbreak.
In March, graffiti began appearing around the Peninsula telling people to remain in their own postcode.
One social media user shared an image of how the freeway really looks, pointing out a new guard rail is not featured in the photo with the sign
Similar handwritten signs were witnessed in NSW south-coastal town Mollymook earlier this month.
Despite some locals' claims, Mr Hearn said it was the quietest Easter he had ever experienced in the region, and anxiety and uncertainty about the coronavirus crisis had increased existing friction between permanent and part-time residents.
Victoria Police conducted 3245 spot checks across the state during the Easter long weekend as part of Operation Sentinel and issued a total of 427 fines.
Breaches included four people gathering together outside shops in Baxter, four people having a barbecue at Brighton and a group of overseas tourists holding a party at a rented short stay property in Cowes.
