GAWLER Council has voted to support security upgrades at Evanston’s Eldred Riggs Reserve after a string of complaints from its tenants about criminal activity in the area.
In January, The Bunyip, reported the reserve – home to the South Gawler football, netball and cricket clubs – had been hit with a spate of unsociable behaviour, including female players being harassed by groups of masked youths, and hoon driving around the oval.
South Gawler Football Club vice-president Dale Lawrence also reported finding used needles around the reserve before junior games on Saturdays.
The incidents forced the clubs to lock the reserve’s gates outside of training and game times, restricting access to nearby residents looking for a space to enjoy fitness and leisure activities.
At its August meeting last Tuesday, council unanimously voted to support, in principle, moving the entrance gates of the reserve to better-lit areas and installing solar lighting between the South Gawler clubrooms and netball courts.
The entrance gate will be moved from Longford Road to nearby Dysart Road, with the boundary fence of the reserve to be moved back closer to Dysart Road.
Councillor Paul Little, who has been involved with the incidents in his role as Justice of the Peace for the Barossa Police District, said during the meeting that moving the gates would solve “40-50 per cent” of the issues surrounding the reserve.
“Every game this year, whether it’s football, cricket, netball, we do a sweep of the oval and I’ve been finding around half a dozen syringes every time,” he said.
“I am very thankful for the officer’s report and am very pleased with this motion, I think it’s a step in the right direction.”
Council staff will now work with the club to find funding for the lighting installation and entrance changes.
Earlier in the meeting, South Gawler Football Club finance director John Costa told elected members about the affect the criminal behaviour was having on the club.
“There’s been netballers threatened at night time, cars broken into while guys are at footy training, hoon driving, the clubrooms and other storage are always being broken into and vandalised and, for want of a better term, other suspicious activities going on there on a Friday night,” he said.
“One of the confrontations was someone close to me, they were attacked by people across the road from the oval with baseball bats.
“All we are looking for is a bit of a commitment from council to fix up some lights and fencing around the place to make it a safe place for everyone to go to.”
South Gawler Football Club did not wish to comment on the decision to support the security changes until the council had “taken action” on delivering them.
