Stacey Wilde is the new face for change on the Fernleigh Track after speaking up for the community at an official roundtable meeting this week.
Upon hearing news of a woman being violently grabbed on the walking path in April, she and her friend Tegan Broster decided enough was enough.
As a result, the pair organised the Taking Back Our Paths rally, a march in solidarity with victims of the recent spike in violent behaviour along the shared pathway.
“Initially when Tegan and I started the walk, we thought there would be 30 to 50 people turn up at Adamstown,” Ms Wilde told the Newcastle Weekly a few months ago.
“We then had over 1,000 people show up and nearly 6,000 signatures on our petition.
“So, it’s grown lengths.
“And, I’m really proud of us and the work we’ve done.”
Ms Wilde was the only community representative at an official roundtable discussion, on Monday 11 August, to discuss welfare issues at the track.
It featured members of both Lake Macquarie and Newcastle councils, NSW Police and the state government.
When asked how she felt after the meeting, Ms Wilde said it was “overwhelmingly positive”.
“I feel like there’s been some real conversations and I believe that there’s going to be real change that takes place,” she stated.
“One of the things that did come out… was that these issues are not Fernleigh Track specific.
“And, we need to look at the broader scale of things because we have a lot of cycleways and pathways in both council areas.
“So, that’s been really positive, because whatever changes take place on the Fernleigh Track can actually be implemented on things like the Foreshore or the walking track at Warners Bay and those other areas.”
Several matters relating to the Fernleigh Track were discussed, including prevention methods, public education campaigns and protective infrastructure.
Lake Macquarie City mayor Adam Shultz confirmed a committee would be established for the path to aid in further developments.
But, Ms Wilde admitted some changes will have to wait.
“I think the community is very headstrong on the CCTV and lighting component,” she said.
“I think the job now is to manage expectations with the community. These things ae massive infrastructure changes.
“They require a lot of money, CCTV alone requires ongoing maintenance, which obviously needs ongoing funds.
“Definitely what came out of the discussions [today] is that there are things that can be implemented, maybe not immediately, because we need to manage expectations, but very quickly.”
Signage is said to be the next step, with state officials already hosting discussions with the Transport for NSW.
“Because of this, we now have the ability to take these learnings and discussions and put them into tangible change that the community can see, hopefully encouraging people to feel safe to use these spaces,” said Ms Wilde.
“Signage will be put in on how to use the track in a respectable manner, on penalties for offenders, and how to report effectively.”
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