Darwin business owner Despina Voudouris outraged after vandal attack

The financial impact of crime on Territory businesses continues to add up with new video showing young children vandalising shops and offices.

While the student ban at Casuarina Square put the brakes on anti-social behaviour and juvenile crime for two days, there was no let-up to the crime-wave outside the centre.

About 100m up Trower Road, Corporate on 289 was trashed by vandals on Sunday night, with 14 full-length windows smashed at four tenancies in the complex. I-MED Radiology Network, Peter Cavanagh Tax Agent & Public Accountant and the vacant Red Rooster shop were among the businesses targeted.

Video of the incident shows children who looked as young as eight throwing stones at the panes of glass until the panels eventually smashed.

Pete's Glass & Aluminium have become a regular fixture at Corporate on 289.

Despina Voudouris is the director of T&C Investments Propriety Limited, which owns Corporate on 289.

She says the business has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to vandal-proof the centre.

Built in the late 1990s by her late father Theo Voudouris, Ms Voudouris said Sunday’s attack was the second in four weeks and the fifth at the complex in the past 18 months.

“I’ve no idea how many times it’s been targeted over 25 years,” Ms Voudouris said.

“We’ve tried to make the premises secure but it’s really never ending.

“We’ve had to remodel and update the building to try and minimise damage from vandals and after all we’ve done so far it looks like we’re still going to have to do more.”

Laser cut security screening has been installed at Corporate on 289.

Smashed windows on the building’s Trower Road frontage saw the installation of full-length laser screening three years ago, which cost the business hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Territory government’s Biz Secure grants contributed to the cost of the CCTV cameras at the premises, but did not mitigate the impact on insurance premiums for the business of repeated vandal attacks and the disruption to business.

“Police are hampered by the age of the attackers, it’s a real Catch 22,” Ms Voudouris said.

“This is a people issue, a financial issue, a political issue and a social issue.

“There’s no simple solution but it has to be addressed.

“Why aren’t they being funded appropriately to respond to the ever-growing social problem.”

Teresa Cavanagh is worried about the impact of crime on her business.

Teresa Cavanagh, manager at Peter Cavanagh Tax Agent & Public Accountant, said criminal activity increased over the past two years.

“Previous to that there were a few broken windows around the area and a few bits of anti-social behaviour but in the past 18 months there’s been a lot more window breaking around the area and in the last three to six months a lot more anti-social behaviour,” Ms Cavanagh said.

“Two weeks ago we had to lock our front door and put our blinds down because there was an alcohol related incident outside and we just had to sit and wait until it finished.

“Police can’t come immediately and things happen very quickly so you just lock up and wait.

“At night, you wonder what you’re going to come into the next day whether it be graffiti, broken windows, empty bottles, rubbish, excrement, people sleeping outside – we get the full gamut.”

NT Police confirmed they received a report of criminal damage at the premises overnight on Sunday February 19 and that on January 31, four windows were allegedly damaged in a separate attack. Investigations are ongoing.

“In the event that an offender is under the age of criminal responsibility, police can convey them home into the care of a responsible adult and make the relevant referral to other government agencies,” a spokesman said.

Originally published as Darwin business owner Despina Voudouris outraged after vandal attack