Following an increase in reports of anti-social behaviour on the Fernleigh Track, Lake Macquarie City Council is finally taking matters into its own hands.
It comes after mayor Adam Schultz recently spearheaded a working group to tackle the issues head-on.
The first outcome of the assemblage – which includes community representatives, NSW Police and politicians – saw the implementation of signage that encourages users of the path to inform authorities immediately of incidents.
Signs have been erected at all access points to the Fernleigh Track as the initial step in improving safety in the area.
“It’s a really simple stage but an important one,” Cr Schultz said.
Lake Macquarie NSW Police Superintendent Tracey Chapman admitted community reporting was key to ensuring their response was adequate.
In the past six months, they’ve enacted six operations in the area targeting anti-social behaviour along the track.
“If we don’t have information about what’s been occurring, it becomes much more difficult for us to put resources in the right place at the right time,” she said.
“It’s critically important for us to make sure it is accessible and safe for everyone to use.”
Minister for Police and counter-Terrorism Yasmin Catley stated a police presence made a difference.
“The community wants this much-loved infrastructure to be safe for everybody,” the Swansea MP added.
“It’s not just about policing and enforcement.
“It’s about taking responsibility on our shared paths.”
Tacking Back Our Paths organiser Stacey Wilde said members of the community expressed concerns about the intention of the signs.
“I don’t want people to get up in arms and feel like the onus has been pushed back on us,” she explained.
Labelled by Cr Schultz as a “true champion of her local community”, Ms Wilde stated the response from council had been efficient.
“We’ve had some wonderful changes in such a short period of time,” she told the Newcastle Weekly.
“But, I encourage everyone to use the signs to their advantage.
“We have a responsibility to ourselves and each other to make sure we are reporting instances.
“Don’t think that it’s not worthy of being reported.”
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