‘We want action’: The residents living in fear of pitbulls, bikies and crime in Novar Gardens want help

Squatters, pitbulls, bikies and crime have overrun a troubled SA public housing complex, where more than one in six units now sit empty.

A neighbourhood led to a gas bottle being used to firebomb the backdoor of this Novar Gardens property. Leaving four units still empty. Picture: Emma Brasier

Residents of a troubled SA Housing Trust complex say they are afraid to leave their homes because of roaming pitbulls, violent, drug-using squatters and bikies.

Some people living at the Stott Court complex in Novar Gardens have labelled it “crack heaven” and say the more the number of vacant properties grows, the more dangerous it becomes.

Others are most worried about visits from outlaw motorcycle gang membersto a unit.

The Advertiser first visited Stott Court in November when eight of its 59 Trust properties were vacant.

When we returned recently, three more were empty, meaning more than one in six are now vacant.

Stott Court resident Dean Johnson, 62, at his unit. Picture: Emma Brasier

Residents are calling for the Trust, which employs full-time security guards at all its offices to protect Trust employees, to do more to fill vacant units and protect residents’ safety.

Dean Johnstone has lived at the complex for 40 years, around the corner from two units that were recently gutted in suspicious fires.

A third blaze on nearby Montreal Ave, within a neighbouring Trust complex, meant four units there had to be vacated after another suspected arson attack.

Mr Johnstone said resident were often subjected to violent threats, usually from aggressive, meth-using squatters.

He said in one case, a woman had to have emergency surgery to save her leg after being attacked by a roaming pitbull owned by a squatter.

Mr Johnstone said when he recently told another resident to keep noise down, some “random woman appeared at my security door and told me she was going to stab me in the neck”.

Across the pathway from his unit, The Advertiser found sheds at the vacated properties crammed full of bicycles and bicycle parts, which residents suspected were stolen.

Bicycles and bike parts in a shed at the back of a vacant property at Stott Court. Picture: Emma Brasier

The Advertiser also spoke with a resident called Barbara who said she wanted to be transferred to another Trust complex and no longer walked her small dog for fear of the pitbulls.

Three doors down from her, a young couple are squatting in the backyard of a long-vacant property, sleeping on a torn vinyl couch with another large, unchained pitbull.

A fence at the Stott Court complex at Novar Gardens. Picture: Emma Brasier

Another squatter living in a shed said she felt like she had no choice because “I’ve been waiting on the (public) housing list for so long”.

The Advertiser this month revealed Freedom of Information data showing the number of vacant Trust properties across the state has increased to 340, up from 293 since last October.

An spokeswoman for SA Housing Trust said it was working hard to reduce vacancies at Stott Court.

“Illegal behaviour should be reported to police,” she said. “If we become aware of illegal activity involving a tenant, we move to evict immediately.

“We are doing more to reduce the number of vacant properties, including a recent boost of $37.1 million to accelerate the delivery of maintenance to vacant public housing.”

An SA Police spokesman said: “Western District Crime Prevention Section regularly works in partnership with Housing SA to problem-solve issues within the community.”

Originally published as ‘We want action’: The residents living in fear of pitbulls, bikies and crime in Novar Gardens want help