Residents told to get hoons on film

By Melissa Grant
HOONING, loud music, shouting and banging doors are keeping residents on Beaconsfield’s O’Neil Road up to the early hours of the morning – and they’ve had enough.
James Dickson and Jackie Hampson are losing sleep and serenity because of late-night activity at the Beaconsfield Community Complex, hooning on the nearby football oval and along the street.
Their concerns have prompted police to urge O’Neil Road residents to arm themselves with video cameras to ensure elusive hoons feel the full extent of the law.
Mr Dickson said noisy youths and hoons congregating near the community complex were keeping nearby residents awake as late as 2.15am.
“They (functions) finish late then the burn-outs start, then the bottles, singing and the noise,” he said. “There’s a gazetted time that the music’s supposed to finish and the council should have a security company that goes past at the time it’s supposed to be closed. The council doesn’t monitor it well enough, but they’re happy to rent it for $450 a pop.”
Mrs Hampson agreed too much noise emanated from the community complex, adding that hoons were also making their lives a nightmare.
She said young people often used O’Neil Road as a racetrack and the football ground as a place to spin doughnuts.
“You just hear them hooning up and down the road,” she said. “It’s only a matter of time before they lose control and go through someone’s house – they just drive too fast. It’s a real concern.”
Sergeant Nigel Atkins of Cardinia’s Traffic Management Unit (TMU) said police often visited the O’Neil Road area.
“We’ve had a number of impoundments up that way and have issued a lot of defects,” he said. “Where it’s remote and not a major arterial way they think they have the right to do anti-social hoon behaviours – but I’ve got news for them.”
Sgt Atkins said police were keen to prosecute the law-breakers, but needed the assistance of those in the O’Neil Road neighbourhood.
“A handy tool is a video camera, which has a time and date stamped on it (film),” he said. “If they can provide police with irrefutable evidence, we will take it to court – if we have that then the fools will find themselves before the bench of a magistrate. I feel for the people who live up there, but they have to be vigilant.”
Mr Dickson was hopeful the council would consider putting up gates at the oval to deny hoons access, as well as monitoring the use of the community complex.
Cardinia Shire Council’s general manager for community wellbeing, Fiona Hodges, said the council was investigating the installation of gates and other security measures at the complex.
She said Beaconsfield Community Complex management was also putting together a notice expressing their concern and advising residents who to ring in the event of hoon behaviour.
Beaconsfield Community Complex management has the power to order those who breach hire conditions to immediately vacate the premises as well as forfeit their bond.
Users are required to hire their own security for events with more than 100 people.
Ms Hodges said Beaconsfield Community Complex management was looking to change the finish time for music from 12.30am to 11.30pm and were also considering bringing forward the 2am car park vacation time.