Crime fighters turning to parks
TOWNSVILLE’S parks and recreational spaces will be put under the spotlight to ensure they are safe and appealing places to visit.
Townsville Community Safety Advisory Committee chair Councillor Russ Cook, a former police officer, said one of the committee’s goals this year was to ensure the city’s parks and recreational spaces were well patronised.
“We have some of the best recreational spaces and parks in the country, and we want these areas to be used positively by the community,” he said. “If they are being used in a positive manner, it will keep the people that we don’t want there out.”
Cr Cook said the committee, with the help of all councillors, would identify which parks and recreational spaces across the city needed attention and what needed to be done to “reinvent” them.
“We will be investigating which parks and recreational spaces in the city are not being utilised enough and find out why,” he said.
“Each councillor has an eye on their division and can identify what is needed.”
Cr Cook said Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design ( CPTED) was a useful strategy which outlined how physical environments could be designed in order to lessen the opportunity for crime.
“CPTED ... identifies which aspects of the physical envi- ronment affect the behaviour of people and then uses these factors to allow for the most productive use of space while reducing the opportunity of crime,” he said.
“It is often simple things such as making changes to poor environmental design such as street lighting and landscaping. Works such as trimming trees so branches don’t obstruct a park ... or installing more lighting or CCTV cameras ... these simple strategies can go a long way to achieve the aim of a park that is well utilised.”
Cr Cook said the council had access to Works for Queensland funding, available for upgrades to parks and streetscapes, pathways and roads, and shade structure and security lighting installation.
Works for Queensland has already allocated funds for Townsville projects such as the Edison Park upgrade, the Kalynda Chase Dog Park, the Jabiru Park upgrade and shade structures across the city.