Herald spotlight on neglect continues…Merlewood: Paradise lost
Poorly kept sporting facilities and overgrown pathways are real problems for Merlewood residents who say they have had enough!
MERLEWOOD has earned the unenviable reputation of being one of the South Coast’s worst ‘druggy’ suburbs.
Whether it is warranted or not would need a proper investigation, but there is no denying that Merlewood is in a sad state of neglect and parents are concerned for their children.
This story is one of a series of investigations inspired by readers that the Herald has, and will still publish in a bid to draw attention to areas of the South Coast that urgently need assistance.
Merlewood is virtually the ‘Cinderella’ suburb of the Port Shesptone precinct with crumbling infrastructure and very little to occupy impressionable young minds.
Therefore, Merlewood youths are prime ‘customers’ for drug pushers.
Valdin Barth, a young father of two, is one of many who are deeply concerned.
He said he had continually pleaded to local government to help, but in vain.
“The final straw was when a woman told me that snakes kept coming into her home due to long grass and bush in and around Popcorn Valley,” he said.
He said a new contractor appointed by Hibiscus Coast Municipality did not cut the verges or sports grounds properly or on a regular basis.
Mr Barth also wanted to know why contracts were awarded to people living outside of the area.
“No one from Merlewood is given a chance,” he said.
“There are people who desperately need jobs in this suburb.Why can’t they employ and help uplift people from within the community?
“It’s slapdash cutting… these contractors sit around for most of the day and then pitch up whenever they feel like it. Or they cut one day and don’t come back. When we complain they tell us nicely to ‘ … off’ and to report it to Hibiscus Coast Municipality.”
Crime was rife with women often robbed and raped in the bush. Four bodies were discovered in the area in the past two years.
“Women are often heard screaming as they get robbed while taking short cuts. You can’t walk from Merlewood to Marburg from 6pm onwards – its too dangerous. The street lights don’t work either,” he said.
As a soccer coach of the U15 side, Mr Barth was particularly angry about the neglected sports grounds. He said they were basically ‘useless’.
Spotlights were erected, but had never worked. The bush around the sports field was so overgrown and the field itself was full of weeds, making it uneven and impossible to play on.
A pile of benches lies in the corner of the grounds. Concrete blocks have not been moved since they were dumped there. The parking lot is overgrown with waist high weeds and grass. There is no shelter for spectators.
Mr Barth can’t remember when last a soccer match was played or the netball courts used.
Most concerning, the alleged ‘caretaker’ of the facility had apparently claimed the clubhouse as her ‘home’ and was even renting it out for an income.
“I want to bring up my children in a community that has sporting and community facilities. I don’t want to see young girls drinking and the youth taking drugs when they can channel their energy into sport,” he said.
Another resident, Maria Roskruge, said pedestrians used verges as a toilet and and there was a constant stink of urine.
Mr Barth is instigating a “call to action” from Hibiscus Coast and community members. For starters, he is looking for soccer balls or any equipment. Anyone who wants to join his crusade to clean up Merlewood can contact him at 073 7756199.
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