A meeting of stakeholders has been scheduled to discuss ways to address anti-social behaviour in a beachside park.
Teenagers, including a number on e-bikes and e-scooters, have been blamed for repeated vandalism and incidents of harassment in Jack Morgan Park, which sits between the David Low Way shopping strip and Perry Street, Coolum.
The Coolum Civic Centre, Coolum Library, Coolum Beach Bowls Club, Coolum Beach Community Kindergarten and a community garden fringe the park.
Sunshine Coast councillor Maria Suarez, whose division includes the park, said the behaviour of some of the teenagers was intimidating for members and staff of the neighbouring organisations and the public.
“Everyone around has been copping it. They’re kids – and it’s only been a few kids, a few bad eggs that are causing this havoc,” Cr Suarez said.
“The bowls club members are getting taunted, the library staff are being taunted. There’s a community garden and they are breaking into the little shed where they store stuff.
“What happens is that they are very brazen. They are rude to people, particularly police. When the police come in, they flip the bird at them and swear.
“There are a number of exits from that park and they are so quick. When the police turn up, they just scatter.”
Member for Ninderry Dan Purdie said local residents had raised “serious concerns about anti-social behaviour” in the park over recent months.
“Examples include misuse of e-scooters and e-bikes, vandalism and destruction of community property including public toilet facilities, drug use, intimidation and aggression directed toward vulnerable residents. Sadly, young people are overrepresented in these reports,” Mr Purdie said.
Cr Suarez, Mr Purdie, Coolum police and council staff are scheduled to meet at the end of the month to discuss the issues and how to address them.
Cr Suarez said CCTV had been suggested but it was debatable whether it would stop problems in the park or simply identify those who were causing them.
Coolum police acting officer-in-charge Troy Cavell said a security camera on a trailer had worked elsewhere to monitor public spaces and deter anti-social behaviour.
Acting Senior Sergeant Cavell said police were aware of issues in the park but said only some and not all of the teenagers who gathered there were causing problems.
He said police were patrolling the park regularly in response to matters that had been raised.
“We know that there are complaints. Every shift has to make sure they do a patrol of Jack Morgan Park,” he said.
Acting Snr Sgt Cavell said changes at other locations in Coolum had made them less attractive places for teenagers to hang out “but they just find somewhere else to go, that’s what teenagers do”.
Mr Purdie, who is also the Police Minister, said the rapid uptake of e-bikes and e-scooters had been a factor in many complaints.
He said Coolum police had initiated a pilot e-safety program in two high schools last year and a new online education program promoting e-scooter rules and safety to Year 5 and 6 students was on track to be rolled out by the state government.
Mr Purdie encouraged people to reports incidents in the park so that police could target their responses.
Cr Suarez hoped future construction of a pump track at Coolum would offer something new for the age group to do in the area.
