Hutt St residents, traders to make urgent plea to Premier Steven Marshall to help relocate city homeless shelter

RESIDENTS and traders are demanding Premier Steven Marshall relocate the Hutt Street Centre claiming the area is no longer safe.

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DISGRUNTLED residents and traders will make a united plea for Premier Steven Marshall to help relocate the Hutt Street Centre and “save” the city’s south east from escalating violence and intimidation.

The Hutt Street traders and residents associations, who claim to represent more than 200 residents and businesses, will today write to Mr Marshall for an urgent meeting.

They claim the safety and economic viability of the strip has been decimated by the behaviour of mentally ill, alcohol and drug-affected Hutt St Centre clients and their associates.

And they want the Premier to publicly commit to block any expansion of the centre on the existing site and instead work with the Adelaide City Council to move the centre elsewhere.

“We call on the Premier to save the south east of the city, by committing to relocate the Hutt Street Centre into new, more appropriate premises as a matter of urgency,” Hutt Street Traders’ Association spokeswoman Colette Slight said.

“The behaviour of a small minority of people who frequent this centre and environs has decimated the economic viability of the south east of the city. This situation has got to end, now.”

Ms Slight, who has operated a Hutt Street bookshop for 40 years, said that 80 per cent of shops south of Halifax Street were empty.

“It’s (bad behaviour) definitely escalating,” she said.

“In the last 12 months I’ve rung the police attendance line as many times as I have in the previous 39 years.”

Traders and residents have blamed alleged anti-social behaviour and violence for vacant shops on Hutt Street. Picture: Hutt Street residents association

The 64-year-old centre, which has come under sustained pressure amid growing concern about acts of violence and nuisance in the area, announced in April it was investigating relocation following trader backlash.

Mr Marshall has publicly stated his support for the Hutt Street Centre but said in an interview in May that moving the centre may be an option.

In the letter to Mr Marshall, which also will go to the Adelaide City Council, the two Hutt St associations said they appreciated the need for mental health, homeless and welfare services.

But they said an “explosion” in ice addiction and an increase in clients suffering mental health issues had made the location of the centre inappropriate and people were now scared to walk the street. Residents’ association spokesman and Hutt St business owner, Wayne Copley, said many of his members have been long-term supporters of the centre.

Traders and residents want the Hutt Street Centre relocated, blaming the behaviour of clients for the anti-social behaviour and increased vacancies on the retail strip. Picture: Hutt Street Residents’ Association.

“But things have got out of hand now, as the centre has expanded its services to try and cope with increased demand including the serious ice and drug epidemic affecting our society,” he said.

“Only a few years ago Hutt Street used to be a fantastic residential retail village. Unfortunately, the centre’s ongoing and unplanned expansion of services has destroyed the SE corner of the state’s capital.”

A security guard, increased CCTV and a precinct working group have been implemented following Hutt St concerns.