his concerns at Tuesday night’s emotional community meeting in Nangwarry.
EMOTIONS ran high when Nangwarry residents gathered for a community meeting on Monday night to discuss the spate of fires which has devastated the town over several years.
Less than two weeks after the suspicious blaze which destroyed the Nangwarry football clubrooms, over 100 locals packed into the community hall to express their concerns about potentially living with a fire bug in the township.
Limestone Coast Police officer in charge Superintendent Grant Moyle hosted the meeting, which outlined community strategies to help police catch the suspected arsonist.
It was a tension-filled room, with some residents demanding more from the police, while others defended the local force.
Supt Moyle said he was not surprised by the passionate response from the community.
“There were some emotional people here tonight (Monday), we expected that and we were here to face them and answer their questions,” Supt Moyle said.
“While there were some very distressed and upset people, there were also some people who were very understanding of what we are trying to do and the hurdles we face.”
“I’m very impressed with the response – it is probably the most people I have seen at a community meeting in my time in the Limestone Coast.”
One of the major concerns shared by most residents in the room was the lack of lighting on some streets in the town.
Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll and chief executive officer Ben Gower were in attendance to address those concerns.
Nangwarry resident Terry Bennier was one local to raise the topic to them regarding the darkness of laneways.
“In the laneways it is so dark that if someone was to press up against the wall, you actually cannot see them at all,” Mr Bennier said.
Mr Gower indicated the council would explore the issue and endeavour to install more lights in sections of the town.
However, he said residents need to appreciate the time frame of council and understand it is not something that can happen instantaneously.
Surveillance in the community was another hot topic, with Mr Gower raising a relatively low-cost concept that residents in the town could implement.
“I bought a $70 covert security camera to use on my property, which requires AA batteries that have to be changed once every three months,” Mr Gower said.
“It is camouflaged, has a motion sensor and takes still images of any movement that occurs at my property.
“In the short time I have had the camera, it has captured people who were not meant to be at my property.”
Mr Gower said if one in three homes in Nangwarry installed the covert camera, it could provide the evidence the police need to prosecute an arsonist.
“If every third home takes a time-stamped still image of a person moving along a street and then it captures a person going to a home and lighting a fire, that would give the police the evidence to prosecute,” he said.
One Nangwarry resident encouraged the community to strongly consider the suggestion.
“I think most people in this room can afford $70,” he said.
“If we are seriously concerned about this as a community, let’s do something about it – I know I’m going to get one.”
The meeting also gave the police a chance to reinforce the message to the community to come forward with any information they might have.
“It’s a very concerned community and rightly so because there is someone lighting fires in this community,” Supt Moyle said.
“It is quite likely that someone in this community knows who is responsible or certainly has that vital piece of information that will help us identify the person responsible.”
While not wanting to expand on the progress of the investigation, Supt Moyle revealed there was cause to believe the Nangwarry Football Club fire was deliberately lit.
He asked anyone with information about any of the Nangwarry fires to report it online at crimestopperssa.com.au or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
“The onus is on both parties, we need the community to work with us and tell us what they know,” Supt Moyle said.
