An alarming number of messages, pictures and videos have been flooding in of parents disobeying the health advice of Victoria’s Chief Health Officer by cutting tape and restoring children’s access to outdoor playgrounds.

I note that it is a fineable offence to touch or otherwise use outdoor playground equipment, and that the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police has made it clear that his members will be patrolling parks and enforcing these health directions to keep us all safe.

By removing caution tape, cutting zip ties and restoring outdoor playground function you are effectively inciting children to break the law and perhaps more importantly – endangering us all by spreading the virus.

I cannot condemn it strongly enough. Respect the health advice, keep playground equipment taped up, and report any children playing on outdoor playgrounds to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or visit onlinereporting.police.vic.gov.au to lodge a report against those offending children.

We are all in this together Victoria, and with your assistance we can stop children from endangering everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve.