If you use the pathway between Craig Avenue and Mornington-Tyabb Rd or hop across the train line from Frankston Flinders Rd to Kathleen Crescent, you could be prosecuted for trespassing by Metro Trains. Yes, that’s right. The heavy-handed people at Metro

Trains are determined to stop you using these handy shortcuts and are going to send out their “Compliance Officers” to stop you.

We asked the Council to write to Metro Trains to get them to clean up the weeds and long grass and generally improve these unkempt, but well used local walkways.

We were Gobsmacked by the response from Metro Trains. They have advised that they will clean up the weeds and blackberries, but that both locations are illegal to walk along or cross and anyone observed walking here will be issued with an infringe-

ment for trespassing on railway land.

Unfortunately now they are aware that the residents in Tyabb are using these areas frequently, they have informed Council that they

intend to send compliance officers out to check the area regularly, and will take steps shortly to prevent further access to these areas by way of erecting cyclone fencing. These are the comments they made to Council:

Craig Avenue to Mornington-Tyabb Road walking track

· the area between the residential paling boundary fencing and cyclone fence is not a public path and those using it are trespassing

· cyclone fencing should be running perpendicular to the tracks with a gate in it to cut off trespasser access

· as we have now been made aware that the path is being used by trespassers, it will now be reviewed in line with our net

work priorities for remedial works to prevent further trespassing

Walking track over railway track at Kathleen Crescent

· the pedestrian walkway over the train line is an illegal crossing, which also has signs either side of the track indicating trespassers will be prosecuted

· this will also be reviewed as part of the fencing priorities for further trespasser fencing to be installed

If you are as outraged by this as we are, complain to our local State MP Neale Burges ([email protected] or

5977 5600). Write to the local papers ([email protected] or [email protected]), phone your favourite radio station, and generally kick up a fuss. Otherwise, the fences will go up and the Metro compliance officers will descend on Tyabb.