$100,000 for security at Evans van park

CRIME is in the past for the Silver Sands Holiday Park at Evans Head after last week’s Council Reserve Trust meeting.

Security is to be improved at the Silver Sands Caravan Park.

CRIME is in the past for the Silver Sands Holiday Park at Evans Head after last week’s Council Reserve Trust meeting.

The Richmond Valley Council approved a $100,000 tender process for increased security at the reserve caravan park after concerns voiced by patrons.

The council’s director of corporate services, Wayne Halcrow, said the Silver Sands Holiday Park had welcomed the tender after patrons vowed to never return until security measures were increased.

“There have been a number of issues of anti-social behaviour, theft and assaults occurring in the area, and we have discussed this with police over a number of years,” he said.

“We have received anecdotal comments from people that they would not return unless these problems were fixed.”

The tender includes $30,000 to erect a fence around the perimeter of the park and an increase in current security, and will also get the wider community involved.

“We have worked with police, park rangers on patrol and youth workers employed during the Christmas holidays to help young people living in the Evans Head area, as well as employing security,” Mr Halcrow said.

“We will be extending the security service from just the Christmas holidays to all public holidays, as well as every Friday and Saturday night.”

Evans Head is not the only coastal town experiencing antisocial behaviour, with Mr Halcrow saying ‘it is happening in a lot of areas across the State’.

“Several groups from the community have been working with police in response to the escalation of antisocial behaviour among youths and our police patrols have increased,” Tweed-Byron local area crime manager Inspector Greg Carey said.

“Young people think they are entitled to be treated as adults, drink alcohol and act lawlessly, but their behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Mr Halcrow hopes the increase in security at Evans Head ‘may well influence’ other regions, such as Pottsville, which are experiencing similar problems.

Originally published as $100,000 for security at Evans van park