SCHOOLIES OUT
Enough is enough: Surfers towers lobby for ‘exit strategy’
THE State Government will be given a Schoolies dirt file showing a violent and drugfuelled party at last year’s celebrations where more than 60 youths destroyed a luxury Gold Coast apartment, smashing an entire wall. For the first time, body corporates behind some of the biggest towers in Surfers Paradise will lobby the government for an “exit strategy” for Schoolies within three years.
THE State Government will be given a Schoolies dirt file showing a violent and drugfuelled party at last year’s festival where youths destroyed a luxury Gold Coast apartment.
A video obtained by the Bulletin shows police questioning teens after more than 60 students smashed a unit wall and furniture, leaving a $40,000 repair bill.
Photographs show topless Year 12 school leavers dancing on balconies, bongs left in stairwells and human faeces spread throughout building common areas.
For the first time, body corporates behind some of the biggest towers in Surfers Paradise will lobby the Government for an “exit strategy” for Schoolies within three years.
Some are holding back spending millions of dollars on common areas aware they will be trashed again by schoolies.
Angry unit owners have asked for a meeting with Communities Minister Shannon Fentiman when the Government governs on the Coast next week.
“We have to work on an exit strategy for the next two-tothree years for Schoolies,” body corporate reform group leader George Friend said.
Released on the condition that the building was not identified, the dirt file shows:
61 noise breaches on the first week of Schoolies and 60 on the second, 10 times more than a regular week.
36 emergency services attendances, including five for potential suicides or drug overdoses.
Police attended six fights, investigated an alleged sexual assault and found four schoolies with drugs.
13 schoolies were evicted, six for drug possession, with the rest sent home after causing unit damage, making excessive noise or balcony hopping.
A knife thrown from a balcony which became embedded in an outdoor pool area.
48 reports of fire doors being jammed.
Schoolies urinated outside the security office, in the lobby area against the lifts and on the rocks in a sauna room.
Blood was found in the lift along with faeces in common areas and on balconies.
A pool closed due to bro- ken glass after bottles were tossed from balconies. When the cleaner worked on repairs he was targeted with cans.
There were 13 incidents of schoolies passing out in common areas, and one school leaver having to be removed from a resident’s lounge after fighting with a guest.
“First aid was given to a semi-conscious collapsed female on a driveway, QAS arrived and (she was) taken to hospital,” the report said.
The report asks “is the level of violence and assaults underreported in highrise buildings?”.
On the noise disturbances, the report said: “An extremely noticeable spike occurs during Schoolies. This is totally unacceptable and disrespectful for the residents of this building.”
Residents are being advised that they can tell letting agents “I don’t want to be part of the Schoolies event”.
Mr Friend: “This is the tipping point. This is my 17th Schoolies I’ve lived through. Last year was the first time we’ve experienced the damage we had. My partner said we have to go away next year.”
SEE THE VIDEO goldcoastbulletin.com.au