Thursday, 25 June, 2026
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Magpies shine under lights
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Push for more police A parliamentary petition sponsored by Libertarian MP David Limbrick is calling for more police and specialist support staff in Casey after criminal incidents rose 9.1 per cent to 23,284 in the year to March 2026. At a Casey community crime forum, residents and traders raised concerns about police visibility, with as few as 12 officers on shift, and Clyde North Police Station was closed to the public after opening last year. For more, go to pages 3 and 6
Panelists at a community crime forum in Casey highlighted the current crime landscape. (Afraa Kori)
Dumping ground Dumped mattresses, clothing and household waste have become a familiar sight at Hampton Park Centre, leaving residents and traders frustrated, embarrassed and worried about safety. The long-running issue was raised at the June Casey Community Meeting, where Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen called on landowners to better maintain their properties as Council endorsed the new Hampton Park Central Development Plan.
Council said many concerns had been linked to clothing donation bins once located on private land at the Hallam Road frontage of the old Coles site, near McDonald’s. Even after the bins were removed, people continued leaving unwanted goods behind. Local residents said rising tip costs could be one reason people were dumping waste, but warned the rubbish could pose risks for children
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walking through the area. Mayor Cr Koomen said he was disappointed by the state of the old Coles site, but noted fencing had since been installed and the waste removed. He said Council had also received complaints about rubbish left at other parts of the shopping centre, including near the Salvos, where dumped items could block access. “It can actually impact residents,” he said.
“There’s a gentleman, Peter, who has a wheelchair, and he can’t get through because of that.” Landowner of the old Coles site, Sandra Le, said she had spent nearly $10,000 cleaning the site and believed high disposal costs were helping fuel the problem. “When you make it too expensive, where are people going to dump the rubbish?” she said. Full story page 2
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