A 21-year-old man has been fined $1000 for eating a kebab on a park bench in Newcastle, NSW.

The unnamed individual had received two warnings prior to being slapped with the hefty fine.

Ministerial guidelines have given police new powers to issue on-the-spot fines of up to $1000 to those found not complying with new social distancing guidelines.

A number of fines have already been handed out across NSW and Vic, including to a bar in Fitzroy, Melbourne, which was fined $10,000 for staying open amid coronavirus restrictions.

A man and a woman sitting in their car in Muswellbrook, NSW were also fined on Wednesday, April 1, after they couldn’t give a reasonable excuse for not being at home.

It was a similar situation for two males who were caught chatting outside in Artarmon on Sydney’s North Shore, without a good excuse.

The only reasons why an individual should be outside is if they are going to work, school or childcare, a medical facility, supermarket, chemist or getting exercise. Individuals are also permitted to be outside if they are helping a vulnerable relative/person, donating blood, or in an emergency situation.

The Federal Government has banned gatherings of more than two people, apart from immediate family, in a bid to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.

The maximum fine for not complying is $11,000 or six months in prison.