A group of Coniston Park residents are demanding that the City erect a wall to enclose Muritz Way that they allege has become a hot spot for muggings and assaults.
A barricade, which stands knee-high at 0,6 metres at Muritz Way, is currently the only barrier preventing access into Coniston Park.
People’s Post spoke with Keagan Ford, vice-chair of the Coniston Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association (CPRRA) and various other residents to hear why they feel a wall is necessary to help curb crime and drug activity plaguing the area.
Photos: supplied. Credit: Supplied
He said the barricade at Muritz Way barred only vehicles but not pedestrians, allowing free-flowing foot traffic and letting individuals with unsavoury intentions into the area.
“Muritz Way should have been closed off since 1991. But in this area we’ve noted assaults, thefts and rapes. Another issue we have is that criminals are using the Muritz Way entrance for house break-ins and as escape routes. We want the area to be completely walled off as the City had originally planned, with no vehicles and no pedestrian access. We’ve also got feedback from the Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, that our sub-council should get on board to address this issue.”
According to Ford, the City has failed to enforce its own 1991-approved subdivision plan for Muritz Way and deems it “a failure that has directly endangered our community for more than three decades.”
Ward 63 councillor Marita Petersen told People’s Post the City approved partial closure. This was done to ease traffic movement and after an extensive public-participation process. “Only 54% of Coniston Park ratepayers supported the closure. The City then funded a 3 m-high barrier and was stopped.
“So getting the support for full closure needs to be activated, for which I escalated the documents. These were sent to the administration for guidance, that when the estate was built the road was supposed to be closed. The proposed closure activates the Gated Community Policy.”
Petersen claimed that although a certain section of the community wanted the City to erect the wall and prevent pedestrian access some still preferred the road to remain open.
“This means we must have public participation all over again. I have no delegating power to close roads or alleys or lanes. I am not oblivious to the crime in the area, crime that is not exclusive to Coniston Park. I can also confirm there is a close-out report [document summarising a completed project] and ratepayers should have it in hand.” Ford said his correspondence with the City to escalate this had been a fruitless endeavour.
Mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas said the need for a wall to be erected at Muritz Way should undergo an application process.
“The request to construct a wall to restrict access to all modes of transport was not part of the original public-participation process and would need to be considered a new application. To date the City has not received a comprehensive motivation. A proposal can be submitted as per the City’s Gated Development Policy on why a permanent-access restriction to all modes of transport should be considered. On receipt the City will review and comment on it.”
People’s Post spoke with a Coniston Park resident who unpacked her grievances regarding the crime she sees near Muritz Way
She wished to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation. “A lot of people use this road as a throughfare and a lot of criminal activity sometimes happens here where they do robberies early in the morning, especially when it’s dark. Recently, there was a lady who was stabbed and robbed in this road and had to seek medical treatment,” she said.
The woman says that the opening at Muritz Way offers criminals an easy escape route. “This criminals can run escape through here and run towards the M5 road, into the bushes and then end up in Seawinds. We’re very vigilant in the area and I think its mostly people coming from the other side of the road who come and rob people who are on their way to work,” she explained.
Another resident, who also wanted to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said in the latest inciden they stole a refuse bin early hours of the morning. “I normally put our streets bin together at 18:00 (serving community Conwatch), but this incident happened prior and Somebody saw two guys exit via the barriers of Muritz Way Linking to Prince George Drive. Last week, an incident occurred, when the caretaker’s son exited their driveway and a guy slip in trying to rob the concern, but wasn’t aware that there were several staff members around, and they sorted him out good.
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