'Yes' Voice signs defaced and burned in Warrnambool and Woorndoo

Several signs have been spray painted in Warrnambool on multiple occasions while in Woorndoo similar signs have been ripped off an owner's fence and burned.

Warrnambool resident Daniel Barling said he noticed several defaced signs on Warrnambool's Foster Street on September 17, 2023.

"I live just around the corner and was walking around to feed my aunt and uncle's dog when I saw someone had spray painted 'NO' all over these signs down at the Merri end of Foster Street," Mr Barling said.

"So I went and got some turps and cleaned them up. But then I looked this (Tuesday) morning and someone has gone and done it again overnight."

A more serious property attack happened in Woorndoo, 20 kilometres north of Mortlake, on Sunday evening, according to Mortlake Leading Senior Constable Adrian Dolman.

"We went to a property outside Woorndoo where there had been two 'yes' signs attached to the fence. Both of these signs had been removed from the fence and had been located on the roadside burned," Leading Senior Constable Dolman said.

"The letterbox at the property was also damaged. It was a long way from where the signs were, so it's unclear why that was targeted.

"Police have taken reports and are investigating the matter."

Leading Senior Constable Dolman said the rural property was well out of town and the fence was some way back from the road, so it would have been someone driving past in their car.

"If anyone has any information that might relate to the matter, please contact Mortlake Police," he said.

Debate over the Voice has become increasingly fraught as the vote has come closer with revelations of fear-mongering tactics by 'no' campaigners and false accusations against Indigenous academic and Voice architect Marcia Langton.

Sunday, September 17 also marked dozens of marches across the country in support of the referendum vote, which may have contributed to the timing of the attacks.