The Mayor's Column
Have you noticed packs of drunken louts roaming our streets? Have you seen vandalism of public property, such as street and traffic signs bent and ripped out, street trees uprooted, bottles smashed? Residents are reporting an increase in this behaviour on weekends.
A Leadership Forum of Councils has been called on 11 April by the Local Government and Shires Association to debate the State Government’s recent reforms in relation to hotel trading hours, alcohol abuse and violence. These reforms were a result of concern at the escalation of alcohol related violence, crime and anti-social behavior in our communities.
Mosman has only two hotels, located at either ends of our shopping strip on Military Road. The closing hours of these hotels are Hotel Mosman up to 1.00am and the Buena Vista up to 12.00am. As far as I am aware, there are no problems reported.
However, there are licensed premises in the nearby areas of Cremorne, Neutral Bay, the City and Manly which have further extended trading hours. One of the biggest attractors of people after a “night on the town” is McDonald’s in Cremorne which is open 24 hours on weekends. Last year a riot there involved about one hundred drunken people who smashed the premises and attacked staff and police. Police say that drinkers coming home from hotels and night clubs are dropped off there by taxis or buses, or walk from nearby bars, resulting in malicious damage and assaults in nearby areas. Not a good image, McDonalds!
The link between alcohol and sport is also a huge problem. The Good Sports Programme, run by the Australian Drug Foundation, has just received a grant of $5.2 million from the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to “ensure sporting clubs across the nation are supported to change their culture, so they can focus more on young people and families and less on the consumption of alcohol at high risk levels.” Councils across the state are working with this foundation to educate young sportspeople and their families on the dangers of associating sporting events with alcohol consumption, and binge drinking among young people. Good one, Good Sports!
Mosman Council holds two Youth Health Forums each year with high school students to educate young people about the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol.. Also, our youth workers collaborate with Holyoake to provide group workshops with individual young people who have drug and alcohol issues. They also work with affected families. Advice is available all year through our Youth Centre.
Report drunken behaviour or crime to our Harbourside Local Area Command on 9956 3199.
Cr Denise Wilton, Mayor of Mosman