Petition To Clean Up Park
Newcastle Herald
Monday October 8, 2007
A GROUP of elderly East Maitland residents is lobbying Maitland City Council to dismantle a park near their homes claiming it has become a haven for drug use and antisocial behaviour.
Residents of the Living Care Village aged-care facility off Stronach Avenue, have petitioned council about their concerns over Brooklyn Park Reserve in The Boulevard.The reserve is named after Maitland's sister city Brooklyn Park in Minnesota USA.The petition asked council to remove the playground in the reserve, plant trees and keep the area as open space.The residents said their concerns were based on antisocial behaviour that has resulted in vandalism, broken glass, "sharps" such as needles and other drug-related equipment being found at the site.The petition will be discussed at a council meeting tomorrow night. The council had recently surveyed Maitland sporting clubs, council and contract staff to measure the number of improperly disposed "sharps", a report to the meeting said. "The existence of used sharps in council's open space areas is an ongoing issue in the Maitland local government area and other council areas," the report said.Acting state manager of Living Care John Cook said in a letter to council that the reserve was becoming a dangerous place."It is no longer a park that families can enjoy due to the vandalism that is happening there," Mr Cook said."The major concern is the constant presence of broken glass, needles and other drug-related equipment."
© 2007 Newcastle Herald