Gympie plea for council, police help amid Mary St safety concerns

Gympie business leaders are pleading for help to clean up the city centre amid claims families are afraid to visit the main street due to a growing homelessness and drug problem.

Two people have been arrested and multiple referrals to social services made police as part of a wider blitz on Mary St following a plea by almost 100 members of the city’s business community.

Two people have been arrested as part of a Gympie blitz in Mary St following a plea by almost 100 members of the city’s business community.

Police have ramped up presence in city’s CBD following a March 12 community meeting where concerned business owners and residents expressed a growing concern about safety.

Bella Casa owner and former Chamber of Commerce president Tony Goodman, who chaired the meeting, called the turnout on the night a “powerful” statement.

“When I went door-to-door for three days before organising this meeting … every trader I spoke with had a shocking story to share,” Mr Goodman said.

“The emotion and frustration in our community were overwhelming.”

Two people have been arrested and multiple referrals to social services made police as part of a wider blitz on Mary St following a plea by almost 100 members of the city’s business community.

Mr Goodman, who has run his Mary St store for 11 years, said he had “never witnessed an issue as deeply concerning and emotive as the homelessness crisis and the growing drug problem in our CBD”.

“Business owners are struggling to keep their doors open as aggressive behaviour drives away customers,” he said.

This was compounded by a growing number of vape shops around the city centre.

These included one shop which was torched by two balaclava-clad burglars in April 2023.

Police investigations into the fire are ongoing.

Business owner Tony Goodman said there was concern about the number of vape shops opening in the city centre, following the torching of one on Mary St by burglars in April 2023 and raids on other shops around the state amid ongoing regulatory issues around their sale.

Vape shops across the state have come under increased scrutiny and legislation, including a raid by state health authorities at a Bundaberg tobacco shop Wednesday as part of the ongoing crackdown.

There is no allegation of any connection between this shop and Gympie’s stores, and no charges or fines have been laid.

Mr Goodman said the shops were “attracting an undesirable element” with people frequently claiming on social media they were avoiding Mary St as a result.

“Families feel unsafe walking our streets,” Mr Goodman said.

“Hardworking people experiencing homelessness are stuck in a system that fails them.

“We all recognise that this is not just a policing issue — it’s a social issue, a housing issue, and a health issue.”

Police said Friday patrols had increased since the start of the week with a focus on “deterring, disrupting, and preventing anti-social and criminal behaviour”.

Since the start of the push police had arrested a 32-year-old Gympie man on bail and police obstruction charges had been issued to a 29-year-old Gympie man on an outstanding arrest warrant for an alleged car theft.

A 46-year-old Cooran woman was ordered to appear at court for allegedly driving unlicensed in an uninsured and unregistered vehicle.

Officers had also referred six people to social services.

Originally published as Gympie plea for council, police help amid Mary St safety concerns