Concerns over rising crime levels in Gunnedah have led to local leaders and business owners calling for change through an ePetition requesting 24-hour police staff at Gunnedah.
On Monday, February 23, Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson along with Gunnedah Shire Council and Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce held a meeting urging community members to sign the ePetition.
“The e-petition has gathered 1492 signatures, that’s nearly 20 per cent of the population of Gunnedah, so we’ll be lodging that petition in the first couple of weeks of parliament,” Mr Anderson said.
“Council and myself and the business community want to make sure that the Labor government knows how serious the crime problem is in Gunnedah and what needs to be done, and that is making sure we have 24-hour policing in Gunnedah, making sure that there are boots on the ground here to support our growing community get on top of crime.
“It’s a lack of respect for community and Gunnedah is feeling it. People are angry and are feeling unsafe in their homes and that’s not good enough.”
Gunnedah Shire mayor Colleen Fuller said that it is unacceptable for the community to feel unsafe in their town.
Cr Fuller believes that change can happen if people sign the ePetition, and said that she won’t give up until the situation is fixed.
“It’s really important for Gunnedah to have [24-hour police presence] because of the issues that we’re facing,” Cr Fuller said.
“We’re not prepared to accept this in our town. Our town is a great town and we want it to be that way forever and we want it to be safe for everybody.
“Everybody has to team up and get in and sign that petition, wherever you see it, go and sign it. This is your town and you need to make it work for you as well as everybody else. If we don’t sign the petition, we’ll never get 24-hour coverage.
“We had a problem years ago with a hotel in here. We were determined to fix it, we stuck together, we fixed it and we’re going to fix this problem.
“So we’re not going away. We will fix it.”
The petition requests 24-hour on site staffing at Gunnedah Police Station, increased police resourcing, and a dedicated phone that is locally answered by Gunnedah police.
Local businesses say they are also fed up with the lack of police resources in Gunnedah.
Michael Broekman, managing director of Namoi Valley Bricks and president of Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce also spoke at the gathering. Mr Broekman said businesses are tired, and crime has had an exponential impact on not only the owners but employees too.
“It’s the mental stress that you have as a business owner in being able to adjust to someone breaking into your place, taking your possessions, it’s something that when you have that happen to you, you feel violated,” Mr Broekman said.
“The state government’s responsible for looking after law and order and the Chamber of Commerce is calling on the state government to make sure that our businesses and our community is safe.
“But in saying that, the process of making sure that you are safe not only just rests on the hands of the police, businesses need to look after themselves as well. I urge all businesses to check their security, make sure they keep the valuables off their property, link together with other neighbours within your vicinity, work as a team, try and protect yourself.
“We need all the community now to come and sign this petition. We need to get those numbers up.”
Local government have plans to continue the project later in the year through a physical petition to make it more accessible to the community at large.
“The Chamber of Commerce, council, and myself will work on a hard copy petition and we’ll walk it around the streets of Gunnedah and give it to all businesses, and it will be displayed so that people will be able to sign that hard copy petition,” Mr Anderson said.
The petition is open to any NSW resident to sign and can be accessed through the NSW Parliament website, or alternatively community members can go to Gunnedah Library and ask for staff assistance to sign the petition.
The e-petition closes on Thursday, March 5.
