Wyndham council has recommended security guards be posted at a Tarneit park that is becoming known for anti-social behaviour and late-night crime.
Across the past few months, Star Weekly has highlighted the concerns of residents who live near the Ecoville Community Park in Cindia Crescent. They say they are too scared to visit the site at night because of large groups of youths who hang out there reportedly seen fighting and carrying weapons.
Drug paraphernalia is also frequently found at the park, which is usually in a vandalised state with graffitied buildings and play equipment.
Last week, Wyndham council’s director of city life, Jenny McMahon, said the council had been in touch with the owners’ corporation that is responsible for the park.
Ms McMahon said the council had suggested the owners’ corporation “consider” security guards for the site, implement a graffiti management plan and make repairs.
Wyndham police Inspector Marty Allison said officers often patrolled the streets of Tarneit at night, including near the park, in an effort to boost safety.
Last month officers arrested a 15-year-old boy at the park, who was charged with robbery and theft.
Inspector Allison said community leaders from the various cultural groups often conducted outreach work at the park to engage with youths.
The Melbourne Playgrounds website, which reviews parks across the city, has recently put up a post about the Ecoville park.
The review described the park as a “nightmare location” that was “wrecked and covered in graffiti”.
Star Weekly has contacted Strata Data, the company that manages the owners’ corporation for Ecoville park, but had not received a response at the time of going to print.
However, Wyndham Cr Josh Gilligan said residents living near the park had contacted him after they were sent a letter alerting them to a proposed Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal application to dissolve the body corporate responsible for the park.
Cr Gilligan said some of the residents were worried this meant the park could be sold off to make way for a future residential development.
Cr Gilligan said preserving open space was important to the Wyndham community.
