Maryborough residents react to CBD crisis, cite prison proximity as major issue

Shocking videos showing disturbing behaviour in a once heritage-proud city have ignited debate among locals and calls for action. JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Daniel Beattie, who takes daily clips of people wreaking havoc in the CBD is determined to remain the city's megaphone until the streets of Maryborough are made safer. PHOTO: Phillip Clynes-Clinton.

Heated debate has erupted across the Fraser Coast region after businesses and residents spoke out about their distaste for disturbing behaviour in Maryborough.

This publication has detailed shocking disturbances in Maryborough’s CBD through the eyes of business owners and residents.

The article followed a catalogue of Facebook videos and photos of deranged activity within the city-centre, including naked men roaming the streets, a rooftop standoff between police and another man, and multiple assaults.

Daniel Beattie has been campaigning for months about the situation calling for help from the council, state government, and police.

Opinions on how to fix the problem are mixed, with some pointing to the proximity of the Maryborough Correctional Centre while others claim the problem is a national issue.

Here’s what was said:

I wouldn’t feel safe doing that now

Veronica

My friends and I used to be able to walk the streets after dinner on a Saturday night, even go for ice cream, but I wouldn’t feel safe doing that now.

Jenny

As a child, just before Christmas we would have an early dinner on a Saturday night to look at the window displays. You definitely don’t see families doing that today. So sad that we no longer feel safe in our home town.

Tamara

I remember back in the day you used to see elderly people walking hand-in-hand after dark but you never see that anymore because they are too scared. This town once was a nice town but those days are long gone unfortunately.

Mysay

I lived in Maryborough in the late 80s, early 90s. I had young teens and was very confident to have them ride their bikes home after sports and for them to “go downtown” with their mates on a Saturday morning unsupervised. It was a lovely place to live and bring up children. How sad to see it deteriorate to this.

Maryborough salon owner Sonia McLeod says she is regularly calling police about junkies screaming and fighting outside her shop.

The prison let the town down

Mardi

The prison is what let the town down. Used to be a lovely little town.

Matthew

You need to look at the correlation between this sort of public disorder and the location of prisons. Families and associates of prisoners move close. Same thing is happening out at Woodford and it will get worse when new youth jail goes there.

Jason

Unfortunately, since the Maryborough prison was built, there has been a generally steady increase of people in the lower end of the socio-economic bracket in both Maryborough and Hervey Bay, hence the increase of street crime and generally unsafe behaviours.

It’s the same everywhere

Tamara

It’s everywhere in Australia. Society needs major, major help.

Jade

It’s the same everywhere. Drugs are in pandemic proportions. You call the cops and “dob in” a dealer, and nothing happens.

Susan

The issue of homelessness, mental health, addiction is not isolated to the Fraser Coast. It’s national. It is so easy to point fingers at those who are “in power” without providing a solution.

What do you think? Leave your comment below

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Originally published as Maryborough residents react to CBD crisis, cite prison proximity as major issue