PLEDGE TO CRACK DOWN ON HOONS
Residents tired of late-night burnouts
HELENSVALE is the new hoon hangout with youths using a five kilometre loop circuit around the Gold Coast Hinterland suburb.
LNP Broadwater candidate David Crisafulli yesterday welcomed his party’s announcement of a clampdown on hoons, where they would lose their licences and have to complete community service programs.
He revealed the proposed laws would be a godsend for residents in suburbs like Helensvale dealing with the after-hours traffic nightmare.
“It’s unbelievable and unacceptable in such a relaxed part of the Gold Coast that we can have residents at their wits end because of hoons flouting the law,” Mr Crisafulli said.
After doorknocking residents, Mr Crisafulli was briefed on “the big loop” where hoons leaving the Pacific Motorway access Helensvale Road and link up with Monterey Keys Drive on a return trip west through Hope Island.
Apart from waking families at night, the hooning and burnouts are occurring on poorly lit blind corners in their suburban streets.
“We need to bolster the resources for our police and we need to give them the laws to ensure the same repeat offenders don’t turn up time and time again.”
Area councillor William Owen-Jones said he was aware of complaints about hooning and council was taking what action it could on a policing issue that required State Government funding.
The council had placed a speed awareness device for three months in the suburb in a bid to get drivers to slow down. Another two of the three-month trials using the mobile units will be staged at Monterey Keys Dr.
“The devices can change driver behaviour over time. I look forward to Mr Crisafulli advocating for more police in our area,” Cr Owen-Jones said.