Call to action as Maryborough CBD crisis escalates|Video

The continued deterioration of Maryborough’s CBD, now ruled by ‘fear, not Heritage’ is subject to fresh calls for urgent action after a hundreds-strong crisis meeting failed to trigger the change the city needs. VIDEO.

Within minutes of fronting the media to declare they’d had enough of social discord in Maryborough, community leaders were stopped multiple times by disruptive, shouting vagrants.

The urgent call to action, from Maryborough State MP John Barounis, community leader Nancy Bates and whistleblower Daniel Beattie comes amid anger about the lack of meaningful change since hundreds attended a Town Hall late last year to address the issues plaguing the CBD.

Mr Barounis addressed the media only days after another meeting with concerned business owners who told him about the anti-social behaviour they had seen and experienced.

Conversations with tourists were also worrying.

“The behaviour we are facing has a broader effect on our community,” Mr Barounis said.

“Tourists are livid. They are not staying.

“The Maryborough they have described to travellers is one marred by fear, not heritage.”

Mr Barounis said the Premier had been notified of the issue, while government departments were “working together” to find the best solution

Joining the local member was Ms Bates and local investor Daniel Beattie, who blew the whistle to this publication on the extraordinary scenes he witnessed and filmed from his CBD apartment in November.

Daniel Beattie, who took clips of drug affected or mentally ill people wreaking havoc in the CBD is determined to remain the city's megaphone until the streets of Maryborough are made safer.

“I live near Queens Park so I get to see what goes on there daily,” Mr Beattie said.

“The drugs, the screaming, the yelling: it scares tourists away.

“I see it more than anybody because I live in the CBD.

“A lot of people just go home and they don’t see it.

“We put up with that (screaming) all night sometimes.”

As a property owner Mr Beattie said the behaviour had also made it hard to attract tenants to his CBD apartments.

Ms Bates, a decades-long advocate for her city which she has had celebrated on the world stage for its best attributes (most recently via the success of the Cistern Chapel) says the consequences of these incidents are having a “frightening” impact on tourism.

Nancy Bates is part of the committee that transformed the 'Cistern Chapel' precinct, drawing thousands to the region each year.

“We’re losing these tourists daily, and we’re getting more and more of these itinerants,” she said.

“They nearly all have some drug or mental health problem and really need a supervised space.

“The residents have just had a gutful. I have, everyone has.”

Originally published as Call to action as Maryborough CBD crisis escalates|Video