Sunshine residents slam location for SBS series Struggle Street

RESIDENTS of Sunshine are worried. They don’t want their suburb to be tarnished by the stigma of SBS series Struggle Street. Here’s why.

Residents slam ‘Struggle Street’

ICE addicts, violence and homelessness were confronting realities that filled out television screens earlier this year for the first season of controversial documentary Struggle Street.

It was centred on disadvantaged people living in Mount Druitt in Western Sydney.

The show stirred shock among viewers and the Brimbank Leader understands SBS is now scouting out new locations for a second season, with Melbourne’s Sunshine suburb among the contenders.

The prospect however has caused concern among community members, who say Sunshine does not deserve its poor reputation.

The suggestion has left Sunshine Business Association president Bruce White disgruntled.

“We don’t want it although SBS say they paint an open picture and don’t target or degenerate the community,” he said.

“You find people who are struggling and people doing it tough everywhere so we don’t want that associating with just our suburb.”

Mt Druitt residents were the subject of the first series of SBS Struggle Street. Picture: supplied.

Mr White said he had been fighting to change the perception people had of Sunshine and believed the broadcast would do more harm than good.

“The only struggle they’ll find here is the struggle to find a good story,” he said.

“Sunshine might have had a blue-collar class 20 years ago but we are going through a lot of changes.

“Our workforce is about 80 per cent white-collar now.

“Struggle Street is not a story that resonates here like it did in Mount Druitt and there are things happening here that are really positive.”

Mr White said Sunshine had the second highest equity growth outside of Toorak and people were starting to flock to the suburb, which is just 11 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD.

He said the average price for a house had also increased from $440,000 four years ago to about $600,000 today.

“Those that live local are passionate and love the place and wouldn’t live anywhere else,” Mr White said.

Tom Nielson owns the Granary Cafe and Wine Bar in Sunshine and said the community had its charm and was not suitable for Struggle Street.

“I will gladly invite anybody to the area so they can come and see that it’s buzzing,” he said.

“You can’t just pinpoint one small section and portray that as the whole suburb.

“I think that sort of show illustrates a negative image, which represents a very small fraction of the area.

“I guess like with a lot of TV shows — they will try to sensationalise certain aspects and pick on us I guess.”

Chris Wallace was a success story on the first season of Struggle Street.

Mr Nielson said Sunshine had a rich history and was multicultural.

SBS are yet to confirm whether the rumours are true.

A spokeswoman said a final decision had not yet been made on whether a second series of Struggle Street would be created.

“As is standard practice in documentary making, a number of details and potential locations across Australia are being explored in the event SBS does decide to produce a second series, but no decisions have been made,” she said.

“The first series of Struggle Street gave a voice to those Australians living on the fringes of society and provoked national debate about the challenges faced by some Australians against a background of hardship and disadvantage, which is experienced by individuals in a wide range of communities across Australia.”

Brimbank City Council also confirmed they had no formal request or correspondence from the production company asking to film in Sunshine.

“When we contacted the production company they said they have been scouting lots of locations,” a spokeswoman said.

“Sunshine was just one of many locations that they were looking at.”

She said only research on location choices was taking place at this stage.