PHOTO: Aboriginal elder Pat Doolan, Leanne Collins from Lucky 7 Mini Mart, Kayleen Pettet from the East Dubbo Women’s Group, beautician Rebecca Layard and hairdresser Kylie Harris want to see a security camera installed at the Myall Street shops.

Residents and shopkeepers in East Dubbo are fed up with offensive and abusive behaviour at the Myall Street shops.

Business owners are concerned shoppers feel increasingly unsafe in the area and some residents admit they have started avoiding the shops to protect their children.

The residents and shopkeepers agree action needs to be taken, but fear their pleas are landing on deaf ears.

Myall Street newsagent Peter Quinn said a suggestion had been made to Dubbo City Council to have a security camera installed three years ago.

“Council can build a $14 million tiered theatre, but start quivering over a few thousand dollars directed towards the safety and wellbeing of the community,” Mr Quinn said.

“The issue has been held back and consequently we are still in the same position.”

A member of the East Dubbo Women’s Group said Housing NSW had asked the community what needed to be done in Apollo Estate as part of its regeneration program in December, but nothing had materialised.

“About 30 people spoke to the Housing NSW representative to discuss improving many aspects of the entire suburb,” the group member said.

“One of the suggestions was a security camera at the shopping complex. But we haven’t seen a thing happen.”

Sally Tipping has been stopping by the shops on her way home from work daily for the past 14 years.

She said the antisocial problems at the shopping complex had deteriorated dramatically in the past six months.

“I often have to get through a lot of people loitering in order to go about my daily business and it can feel very unsafe,” Ms Tipping said.

“It should be a family-friendly environment but some of the bad language my daughter is exposed to is quite disgusting.

“Council have spent a lot of money on youth services lately but I don’t think they are looking in the right direction.”

According to Mr Quinn, the phone box frequently required repairs, broken bottles were a “Saturday night special” and vandalism to the shop fronts was also a big issue.

He believes a security camera would help reduce crime at the complex as has happened in Dubbo’s CBD.

“If I had children I would feel reasonably assured everything would be okay if a camera was installed,” he said.

bill.north@ruralpress.com