News

Spotlight on street safety

MOST residents and business owners feel safe living and working in Earlwood, but they have raised a number of issues they want addressed, including the behaviour of drivers, general maintenance, waste management, and instilling community pride.

The issues were raised at a safety audit with police and council officers.
Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said the meeting was called after a number of concerns were raised over the past six months.
“From time to time, we receive a concentration of complaints from residents in local communities, regarding safety issues,” he said.
“These are addressed in consultation with residents and police, through specific strategies targeting the issues identified.
“This can include conducting a community safety audit, which is a holistic approach and involves undertaking a walk-through in a particular area, with residents and business owners pointing out their concerns. These are done during the day and night.”
That was the case in Earlwood recently, with around 20 people taking to the streets of the suburb’s town centre, with police and council officers.
The main issues identified were a need to: Review traffic and the impacts of traffic light sequences on the behaviour of drivers; review general maintenance and waste management needs; review signs to better support rules and regulations in the area; and work with local businesses to encourage a better sense of community pride and ownership.
“We can now go and work with the council’s internal and external agencies to address these matters,” Mayor Asfour said.