Hooning Gold Coast: Demands for ing ‘anti-hooning CCTV’
A popular Gold Coast street has been transformed into a racetrack for hoons and residents are calling for urgent intervention, warning that someone will die if things don’t change.
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RESIDENTS fear it will take a senseless death for the State Government to install “anti-hooning” CCTV to stop reckless drivers using Numinbah Valley as a racetrack.
Some of the hoons have even torched cars and tyres around fire-prone bushland.
But Minister for Police Mark Ryan suggested residents and Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates have been barking up the wrong tree.
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He said anti-hooning cameras were the “responsibility of other government agencies including local governments”.
Nerang Murwillumbah Rd resident Peter Yaun has started a petition to Queensland Parliament out of “frustration” after what he said was years of inaction.
The long-time resident said it was not uncommon for dozens of cars to gather at the intersection of Nerang Murwillumbah and Pine Creed roads.
“It’s been a problem for many years,” he said. “Hooning all around this intersection.
“It’s one of the main tourist drives in the Gold Coast Hinterland.”
Mr Yaun said there had been a number of “near misses” in the valley recently and he was concerned it was a matter of time before a driver or pedestrian was injured or killed.
“The biggest concern is they will hit someone on the road,” he said.
“We have people in the district, up at Springbrook, who won’t go down that way of a night.”
Hoons have been ignoring a 60km/h speed limit, likely reaching in excess of 100km/h.
The petition Anti-hooning CCTV and infrastructure in Numinbah Valley, backed by Ms Bates, had more than 320 supporters online on Monday.
She said about as many supporters had sent “petition cards” to her office.
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Ms Bates said hooning was an ongoing problem for Numinbah Valley and one she had continually worked to stamp out.
“I have raised this issue with three Labor police ministers and Labor main roads ministers for the last five years and each election campaign I commit to $300,000 funding for CCTV cameras and lighting out there at Numinbah Valley,” she said.
“We’ve had police stings out there, we’ve had Polair (police helicopter) out there and locals complain all the time. I can’t get Labor to do a thing about it.”
Ms Bates worried the fires could threaten the Numinbah Valley Environmental Education Centre.
“They have school kids there on camps and if that catches alight I could have a fatality out there.”
Ms Bates said Gold Coast City Council installed a temporary camera for six months about two years ago and reports of hooning nosedived.
In response, Mr Ryan said the petition “will be given proper consideration” and he would “forward any matters raised to the relevant agencies”.
He took a shot at Ms Bates and said it was “disappointing” Ms Bates had not approached the Federal Government’s Safer Communities Fund, which “directly funds the installation of CCTV”.
Mr Ryan said if Ms Bates was “fair dinkum she would have helped submit a funding application or at least lobbied her LNP mates in Canberra”.
He said Queensland police ran “a number of enforcement activities” in the area “as recently as a few weeks ago”, including Operation North Upright.
Hooning can be reported to Policelink on 131 444 or via Hoon Line at police.qld.gov.au.
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