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 Wallsend District Cricket Club suffered damage by vandals.
The Community and Small Business CCTV Fund opened in April 2019 but was only available to Sydney based Local Government areas. The fund provided grants of up to $5,000 for community groups and small businesses to install CCTV to help protect their property.
The Wallsend District Cricket Club had their dressing sheds destroyed and their very expensive cricket pitch covers thrown into a nearby creek. In December, the vandals also destroyed the Club’s sightscreen costing more than $6,000 to repair.
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 Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery
“This is another example of the utter senseless destruction of property and equipment that the community has spent thousands and thousands of dollars on to buy and now will have to find money to replace.”
“The first attack on the club cost more than $6,000 to repair the sightscreen and now they will need to find thousands more to repair this damage.”
“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.”
“It seems that once again the regions miss out on programs like this. Sydney gets allocated more new Police Officers per head of population and now it seems they get all the money for programs to help combat crime.”
“The Government needs to remember that crime happens north of the Hawkesbury as well. I will be contacting the Attorney General and asking him to fund projects like this.”