State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, has called on the Government to open up a grants program to allow Newcastle based sporting groups and clubs access to money towards CCTV, after the New Lambton Football Club had their fields at Novocastrian Park, destroyed by vandals over the weekend.
The Community and Small Business CCTV Fund opened in April 2019 but is still only available to Sydney based Local Government areas. The fund provides grants of up to $5,000 for community groups and small businesses to install CCTV to help protect their property.
Over summer, the New Lambton Football Club had spent $80,000 on the grounds, only to have the ground works ripped up by a car being driven on the grounds. Earlier this year, the Wallsend District Cricket Club had their dressing sheds destroyed and their very expensive cricket pitch covers thrown into a nearby creek.
Ms Hornery had previously spoken in Parliament and written to the Attorney General but no response has been provided at this stage.
Quotes attributable to State Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery MP
“This is another example of the utter senseless destruction of sporting fields that the community has spent tens of thousands and thousands of dollars on to bring up to a high standard and now will have to find money to repair them.”
“Earlier this year it was Wallsend Cricket Club that was the victim of vandalism, and now the New Lambton Football Club.”
“The Government need to extend the Community and Small Business CCTV Fund beyond the Sydney basin and allow local clubs and community groups to get money towards CCTV to help protect their property and equipment.”
“We have areas around the electorate that would benefit from having CCTV cameras installed. This would go a long way towards helping combat crime in the area.”
“I will keep working with Council and local sporting clubs so we can access grants to help find solutions to these sorts of acts of vandalism.”