Wyndham’s top cop has labelled the condition of a Tarneit park as a “disgrace” and warned there will be increased police patrols at the site.
Ecoville Park, on Cindia Crescent, is regularly graffitied and vandalised. Litter, alcohol bottles and drug paraphernalia are often strewn around the park.
In the past, residents have told Star Weekly they are too scared to visit the park after dark, because large groups of youths regularly gather there, “destroying the place and running wild”.
Earlier this month, police patrolling the park charged a 17-year-old youth with refusing to provide a name and address, resisting police and behaving in a riotous manner.
Two other youths were issued infringement notices for behaving in a riotous and offensive manner.
Wyndham police Acting Inspector Peter Bitton said there are public order issues at the park, mostly related to young men who frequent the area and engage in underage drinking.
“The park is a disgrace and we’re concerned about how it’s being used,” Acting Inspector Bitton said. “We will be going down there pretty regularly just to ensure people there are using the park for the purpose it’s meant to be used.”
He said this meant officers would visit Ecoville Park “a number of times per week”.
“We’re also talking to people from the Werribee Youth Resource Centre about what they can do,” Acting Inspector Bitton said.
Ecoville Park is a private area managed by Strata Data on behalf of an owners’ corporation.
Acting Inspector Bitton said police had arranged for the Wyndham council to meet with the park owners.
Wyndham’s safer communities portfolio holder Cr Kim McAliney said the council shared “ … the community’s concerns around safety and negative impacts on neighbourhood character when it comes to the Ecoville Community Park in Tarneit.”
She said the council recommended the owners’ corporation take steps to reduce graffiti at the site, and has also issued the corporation with a formal Notice to Comply with the request.
“While we’re encouraged with their commitment to comply with this notice, we’ll continue to monitor the site,” Cr McAliney said.
Strata Data has not responded to Star Weekly inquiries.
