Businesses will face new on-the-spot fines of $1652 for non-compliance with the statewide system.
A recent business blitz in the state for April found 37 per cent of those businesses — 165 businesses overall — were found to not be using the system correctly.
Fines can increase to $9913 for repeated breaches, while blatant or wilful non-compliance could see businesses prosecuted.
Acting Police and Emergency Services Minister Danny Pearson said the recent active case in the Victorian community showed the importance of adhering to the rules.
“As we’ve seen this week, it’s essential every Victorian checks in when visiting a business, to help contact tracers quickly find those who could be at risk of coronavirus exposure,” he said.
“This new on-the-spot $1652 fine sends a clear message that we will not tolerate any business ignoring its responsibility to help Victoria stay safe and stay open.”
But state Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said businesses needed to be given proper information and tools.
“Victoria introduced a bureaucratic nightmare, sometimes almost requiring your life history before you could sign in,” he said.
“Then that changed, and not even the departments running the system seemed to know what was going on, the conflicting information caused widespread confusion, which goes a long way to explaining why so many people just walk past the check-in spots.
“And to ask small businesses to turn away customers, or alienate them by coming the ‘government heavy’, is asking too much.”
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