Schoolies to blame for spate of Yamba, Iluka incidents?

Authorities claim police coverage in Yamba is adequate despite social media rife with claims of rubbish, vandalism, anti-social behaviour

SCHOOLIES may have disrupted the peace in Yamba this past week but numerous reports on social media, police say the vast majority have been well behaved.

"We get schoolies here each year so this is nothing new for us," Coffs/Clarence Police District Chief Inspector Joanne Reid said.

"Generally, no-one has been arrested or issued with an infringement notice and no damage has been caused.

"Everyone we've spoken to has been compliant. They're just talking too loudly in the middle of the night and being disruptive that way."

Despite complaints from residents on social media, Insp Reid said there was adequate police coverage in Yamba during Schoolies.

"We had police out on the street and going into all the clubs over the weekend and only two incidents occurred, both on Saturday morning," she said.

"At about 1am on Clarence St, Yamba there were several groups of intoxicated schoolies moved on, which they abided by. Then again at 1.30am at Church St, Yamba, another group was moved on."

Meanwhile, Yamba and Iluka social media pages are heating up with complaints about a recent spate of vandalism and rubbish, and other unsanitary activities.

One woman collected several empty bottles left on Pippi Beach, Yamba, while another shared images of a red bin left at Lovers Point with rubbish strewn around it.

In Iluka, it is understood several signs that celebrated Aboriginal Story Lines at the Iluka Bluff have been vandalised, while visitors have allegedly been caught going to the toilet in bushland.

School leavers have become the easy target for laying blame to these incidents with a few unfounded claims in social media threads. However, others have shared positive experiences.

"Thank you to the young people who dragged the bin the last leg up the hill at Convent and who had stopped to pick up broken glass themselves," Graeme East wrote.

"We must be careful not to blame young people as a group."

Although Schoolies is coming to a close, Insp Reid said a police presence in Yamba would continue.

"Once we get right into the meat of summer we expect to have more police coverage in the area," she said.

"We need to put our resources around the most appropriate spots and circulate these areas rather than remain in the station.

"Members of the community are encouraged to ring triple-0 or the station if something happens and those same police out on the streets can respond quickly."

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