Surfers Paradise residents frustrated as abandoned houses become centres of crime, Cr Darren Taylor meets with police

Residents are furious their affluent Gold Coast suburb is scattered with used nitrous oxide canisters, supermarket trolleys and homeless youths. But there may be a solution.

• State’s ‘largest CCTV network’ planned for Coast
• Revealed: HOTA gallery open delay

A DERELICT block in an affluent Surfers Paradise, scattered with nitrous oxide canisters, old mattresses and overgrown vegetation, is a step closer to being tidied up.

At Budds Beach on Thursday morning, area councillor Darren Taylor met with the administrators of the abandoned site, Deloitte, as well as local police, council officers and community representatives.

COAST CHARITY SAYS TOUGH LOVE WILL HELP TEEN CRIMS

Police met with Surfers Paradise councillor Darren Taylor and other interested parties in a bid to figure out how to fix a derelict block in Budds Beach that’s attracting criminals and the homeless. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Cr Taylor said the meeting was held to work through options to “moving forward” in regards to cleaning up the site.

Residents have been complaining of people squatting at the site, of criminal activity and about the unkept and messy appearance of the buildings on Norfolk Ave.

Cr Taylor said the administrator had offered to board up some of the buildings and clear some of the trees to assist police with the monitoring of the site.

WELL-KNOWN COAST FIREFIGHTER ENDS 45-YEAR CAREER ON HIGH

Rubbish is piling up at an affluent Surfers Paradise suburb. Photo: Tertius Pickard

“There was also discussions around the addition of CCTV in the area in the next couple of weeks. The administrator is also going to look into options to demolish or clear the site, but he’s got a lot of work do to,” Cr Taylor said.

He said the best outcome for residents would be to demolish and clear the site and that boarding up buildings was just a “temporary” option to help assist police.

“The ultimate goal is to get another development on this bomb of a site but in the meantime we’d like it cleared and grassed.”

Derelict homes are frustrating residents in Budds Beach. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Cr Taylor said he was please the administrator came down to the site and was being “proactive” and there were positive signs he was working with the interested parties to come to a solution.

“What came out of the meeting was that there will be improvements to the area, and that ourselves, council and the administrators are all here to work through this problem,” he said.

Cr Taylor said a follow up meeting would be arranged with the administrator.

A used nitrous oxide canister on the site of abandoned homes in Budds Beach. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Earlier this month Budds Beach residents encouraged each other to report suspicious activity after they saw a couple arrested by police.

It’s believed local police will be checking on the area daily, time permitting, and that outreach services will visit the area weekly to assist with the homeless and vulnerable youth at the site.

Locals can report incidents to Police Link on 131 444.

FULL DIGITAL ACCESS: JUST $1 FOR FIRST 28 DAYS

It’s believe homeless people have been staying at derelict homes in Budds Beach. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Fury over ‘crime dens’ in abandoned Surfers houses – Feb 9

Residents in an affluent Surfers Paradise community have demanded an abandoned house be either sold or bulldozed to stop juveniles squatting there from committing crimes.

About 30 residents at Budds Beach met area councillor Darren Taylor on Sunday afternoon to discuss increased break-ins, partying and hooning in the suburb, and the new home on Norfolk Ave for some of the alleged offenders.

Residents meeting at Budds Beach about decrepit abandoned houses. Cr Darren Taylor addressed their concerns. Picture: Richard Gosling

One resident said an organised youth crime gang was living in the abandoned house, linking power and water to other rundown properties nearby.

It was also alleged Airbnb apartments were being rented by the youth gang members, who were notifying those in the abandoned properties when police were on the way and to flee.

Cr Taylor said discussions with police and the owners of the properties had seen a few of the houses cleared, but there was still concern about one house.

Budds Beach Community Association president Rod O’Kane said residents had sent hundreds of emails to the owners of the rundown houses and were frustrated by a lack of action.

“Hopefully with councillor Taylor, who has been very proactive, we can organise to sit across the table from the owners of the house and say there’s a problem and you can’t bury your head in the sand,” he said.

Cr Taylor said a major struggle for not only Surfers Paradise but all of the Gold Coast was police and security resources.

An abandoned house. Picture: Richard Gosling.

“I’m trying to work internally with the administrator of the property to see what they can do. I’m finding out what we can do. The trouble is resources,” he said.

“This issue is starting to raise its head everywhere. We need more police, we need more action. That’s the struggle.

“There’s two levels, there’s the justice system and what is happening there, which is a state issue. Then there’s how many officers are on the street.

FULL DIGITAL ACCESS: JUST $1 FOR FIRST 28 DAYS

“COVID is a challenge but that’s been and going to be here for a while, so we need to find resources to deal with these issues in the community.”

Cr Taylor said a major issue for Surfers Paradise were “bomb site” buildings that had been emptied by developers.

“Anyone who owns a property needs to manage the property. The challenge is if you’re not there, how do you manage it,” he said.

“If you’re a manager or administrator how do you handle that situation? That’s the challenge.”

Follow @kwizz19

Originally published as Surfers Paradise residents frustrated as abandoned houses become centres of crime, Cr Darren Taylor meets with police