SADLY the latest round of vandalism in Glenroi will come as no surprise to many people.
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Last week Orange City Council staff planted trees on Glenroi Oval and two days later vandals ripped the trees out and wrecked the tree guards.
The trees were planted as part of an ongoing upgrade of Glenroi but there’s not much point sprucing up the area if the people who live there simply don’t value what’s done.
Shockingly children and teenagers are responsible for much of the anti-social behaviour that occurs in Glenroi.
Lack of parental supervision is an ongoing problem in some sections of the community, and children can be seen wandering the streets at all hours of the day.
As one Glenroi resident said some parents are more like ghosts, they seem to play no active part in their children’s lives.
They can rarely be seen ferrying their children to and from school or playing with them in the park.
Of course if there’s no organised activities for young people to engage in, they’ll find their own entertainment which may include breaking windows, throwing rocks at cars and burning rubbish piles.
You don’t have to be an expert in child development to foresee how a childhood spent vandalising and engaging in antisocial behaviour will end.
Councillor Neil Jones is on the right track when he says council needs to ensure the community is involved in any future upgrades to the area.
In order for this collaboration to really work Glenroi residents and council need to agree on exactly what sort of upgrades are needed.
Maybe the majority of Glenroi residents don’t want more trees planted on their oval. Maybe they want other amenities like a homework centre, more outdoor play equipment or a waterpark similar to the one in Dubbo’s Elston Park.
Let’s take a serious look at the Glenroi community members’ own wish list before we start any more council-driven upgrades.