WATCH: Inside plan for Maryborough CBD after Premier shocked by scenes

Bone-chilling screams and drug-addled drifters taking over. Now even the Premier can’t unsee the scary scenes unfolding daily in a city determined to reclaim its streets. VIDEO.

For too long locals have been crying out for state and community leaders to do something about Maryborough’s embattled CBD but a visit from the Premier this week is fuelling renewed hope a once-proud city can take back its streets.

While empty shops, crime and anti-social behaviour aren’t unique to the heritage-rich hub 250km north of Brisbane, the extreme scenes and sounds – think drug addicts fighting, urinating and defecating in plain sight and around-the-clock guttural screaming suited to a mental health ward – have put Maryborough on the map for all the wrong reasons.

In the few hours Premier David Crisafulli was in town to meet with community and business leaders about the crisis on Monday, a trio of CBD troublemakers went before the local court with Magistrate John Milburn saying, “Maryborough’s reputation being a place where people are unruly in the streets is becoming widely known. It needs to stop.”

His comments came during the sentencing of 28-year-old Jeremy Stafford Warner who had to be tasered after throwing chairs and a table at Guzman Y Gomez before trying to get into a woman’s car as she pulled up at the Mexican restaurant.

Jeremy Stafford Warner, 28, pleaded guilty to public nuisance offences, obstructing police and attempted unlawful use of a motor vehicle when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Notorious nuisance and drug user Matthew William Birtles who was arrested after screaming swear words at shoppers outside the Fresh and Save Supermarket, another busy CBD corner and at the police watch-house where ice and marijuana was found in his bag, was also sentenced.

Matthew William Birtles pleaded guilty to three counts of causing a public nuisance and possessing a glass pipe when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court this week.

While his tragic history, homelessness and Tourette's have long been recognised by the court (and divided a community where some argue he’s loud by “harmless”), his continued state has led to 11 public nuisance charges in recent years and Mr Milburn said drug use was not an “appropriate” way to treat his mental health issues.

“You’ve had many opportunities to engage with mental health providers, but it would seem you choose not to do so or, if you do, you do not comply with any form of medication regime,” he said.

Neil Charles Harrild was also sentenced for public nuisance after his “tirade” of swearing and abuse in a CBD park.

Media coverage about Maryborough’s big social breakdown, which began when this publication featured an unflinching account from relentless CBD campaigner and resident Daniel Beattie and was followed by national headlines and a controversial segment on A Current Affair, led to a town-hall meeting attended by hundreds.

But business owners had been frustrated at a perceived lack of action until Maryborough MP John Barounis joined with Mr Beattie and Mary Inc Vice President Nancy Bates in a renewed call to action earlier this month.

Now, following Premier David Crisafulli’s obvious shock during his in-person visit, during which he described behaviour “never seen” before, many are now backing the state government to fix the issue with the help of council and community leaders.

Among them is hairstylist Sonia Simone who has had to lock her salon on Adelaide St in the middle of the day to keep her clients safe.

Hairstylist Sonia Simone would like to see police more noticeable in the community again.

She saw welcome change around the time of the town hall meeting when police hit the streets and did visible patrols, but it was short-lived.

“When the operation was running, there were less disturbances,” she said.

“Having police visible on the beat is what works and when they stopped doing that, the disturbances returned.

“I will lock the front door, if necessary, to make my clients feel safe,” she said.

“I had a lady who was clearly off her face with a metal pole outside the other night.

“I locked us in, but it’s scary for everybody.”

A man goes completely naked in broad daylight in the CBD despite there being multiple public toilets.

One method Ms Simone has found to combat problem is to let police know as soon as a disturbance begins, something she hopes more shop owners will do rather than accept things as they are.

“The more disturbances that are reported, then the authorities will understand the area does need more police,” she said.

Courtney Smith of Hyde Hair Creative in the arcade opposite Ms Simone’s salon also has a front-row seat to the problem.

Hairdresser Courtney Smith says incidents in the streets are stopping people from coming into the CBD.

“There’s a lot of homeless, a lot of mental health, and a lot of drug and alcohol abuse on the street,” she said.

“I just keep to myself but that’s definitely around.

“It definitely makes my clients and myself feel uncomfortable at times. It stops people from coming in (to the CBD).”

Twenty20 Realty’s Heather Locks, who has worked out of her Kent St office for more than 20 years, believes the Premier’s presence was appreciated by the town.

“John (Barounis) and David (Crisafulli) have kept the issue at the forefront of people’s minds,” she said.

“It’s gonna be a slow process, but it’s got to help.”

Her office was recently the victim of disorderly behaviour after a woman deliberately turned off power to her office for no reason.

“A lady found her way into our switchboard room and turned the power off to the whole building,” she said.

“She didn’t know what she was up to, but she just thought it was all a big joke.

“She came back a few hours later, went upstairs, and entered a unit where she was found by the tenant vaping.

“Those are the sort of people that we don’t want here. They shouldn’t be here.”

Heather Locks appreciated the Premier's visit.

After living and working through years of CBD social issues, Ms Locks recognised mental health was a key contributor.

“It’s a very difficult thing because a lot of these people do have mental illness problems,” she said.

“The health department needs to get more involved.”

Not all business owners within the CBD feel that the problem is as bad as others say.

Chuck D’Zilva, owner of Italian restaurant La Familia on Kent St, was more concerned that a large the amount of people causing problems on the street were disabled and should be cared for.

“It’s really not as bad as people are making out,” Mr D’Zilva said.

“We need to look after our most vulnerable who I feel are being treated as a political point.”

Mr D’Zilva also blamed the bad publicity for the slowing of tourism numbers.

“To be quite honest, as a business owner, I noticed tourism dropped the day after A Current Affair came.

“We don’t have gang violence here. We’ve got crime like everywhere else, but it’s not …

While he agreed there could be more police deployed to the streets, he also believed the local jail was not providing any benefits to the community.

“They drop off prisoners with no fixed address, with schizophrenia, at the town hall at 1am,” he said.

“They don’t have any support. They don’t have adequate transitional housing. These people just can’t look after themselves.”

Another business owner leading the charge against the “discrimination” of mentally disabled individuals in Maryborough is Dale Beasant.

Dale Beasant believes one-sided portrayals of incidents on Facebook are causing individuals to be discriminated against.

The owner of Forever Connected Support Services said he’d seen the worst of the vilification, and “one-sided portrayals”.

“This situation has had a profound effect on our business operations,” he said.

“Many members of the public have conveyed their frustration, stating that they feel unable to seek assistance from our office and staff.

“There is a growing sense of discomfort among these individuals, as they report experiences of feeling judged or intimidated by others in the public space.

Noting a “marked decline” in his operations due to vulnerable individuals feeling shunned from using support services, Mr Beasant put forward a six-step plan to better understand the needs of the CBD displaced.

The plan included creating public awareness campaigns, improving lighting and public amenities, providing better engagement with local businesses, creating innovative public spaces, and improving feedback mechanisms and support services.

“The community plays a vital role in creating a safer and more welcoming environment in the CBD.

“Collaboration between community members and local organisations can lead to a more vibrant and secure CBD.”

For Mary Inc’s Mrs Bates, a retired newspaper editor whose tireless efforts to promote Maryborough saw her recognised as a Queensland Great, public safety must come first.

She was fed up with the element “rampaging our streets” being referred to as “homeless”.

“That is unfair to the many people displaced by soaring rents and sale of rentals who are genuinely homeless and grateful for shelter with support if needed,” Mrs Bates said.

“Our city has been held to ransom by a small group, mostly addled by drugs and/or mental health afflictions, who have moved to our beautiful city to illegally camp in prominent places, destroying the ambience, terrifying residents and tourists and ruining businesses.

“Strong action is needed by the state and council to reclaim our city: save your righteous hand-wringing for the real victims.”

Mrs Bates, who was at the Premier’s meeting and believed residents should feel “cautiously” hopeful he understood the real impact on Maryborough, also detested hearing the problem described as “complex”.

“That’s a defeatist term that says it is too hard,” she said.

“It is not. It can be solved, maybe not overnight but we should expect our streets to be safe and friendly again within a few weeks.”

Mr Crisafulli, who also had recent meetings in Townsville and Rockhampton about similar CBD issues said, “I have never seen the scenes that have greeted and confronted me, that I have seen and heard from John and local businesses, at the level that they are now” in Maryborough.

He said his government intended to address the “unruly” behaviour in the coming months via positive policing, laws to “deal with unsavoury behaviour” and a “focus very heavily on turning people around and giving them hope, opportunity, and the kind of support services they need”.

Community members will devise plans at two more upcoming workshops.

Originally published as WATCH: Inside plan for Maryborough CBD after Premier shocked by scenes