Brighten up Hinds Street, residents plea

The community’s response to a petition to light up Hinds Street has stirred surrounding residents with hopes for a brighter future and a makeover for the busy street.

Started by long-time residents in the area, Bill Chiplin and Joe Trindall, the petition earned support from Maitland Street businesses who were proud to display the sign-sheets.

“We started the petition after we had a bit of a scare,” said Mr Chiplin.

“I was driving around the corner to Hinds Street one night and it was so dark that I almost hit someone. I couldn’t see them, and there’s no pavement so people often have to walk on the street.”

“So, we decided that we need more lighting and a pavement for starters, and we were going to do something about it.”

Aside from a necessary makeover of the street for safety reasons, the residents would like to see bus shelters for the elderly, and a kids’ playground to brighten up the young community that frequently congregates in the area.

“The kids are out, and it’s dangerous, they have nowhere else to go, a playground would be a whole other story, but first things, first,” said Mr Chiplin.

In a matter of weeks, the petition received almost 350 signatures and the surrounding Hinds Street community were quick to join hands.

“We only left it up for a month or so because we didn’t want people to get tired of it, we just wanted to give them the opportunity to show their support,” said Mr Chiplin.

“We had a diverse range of people sign it, those who live there, but also people who don’t, but go down there and know how bad it is.

“We had one guy who was run over by a motorbike and nearly killed.

“There has been no action like this before and somebody’s got to do it because if you can save one kid’s life, it’s going to save a world of grief down there.”

Following the close of the petition, citizens and community members gathered for a meeting to express individual views on what could be done and form a support committee for further action.

Among those in attendance were Terry Hynch, Winanga-Li representative June Welsh, resident Matthew Guest whose mum recently had her car stolen on the street, Molly Welsh, and Marilyn Binge.

“Marilyn Binge was great, she advised us to get a council member onboard, and printed up the petition for us,” said Mr Chiplin.

The resulting attendance of shire councillor John Clements at the meeting sparked hope that change may finally be coming to the residents of the area.

“We put our case forward and Cr Clements listened, was very insightful and explained our next steps; like setting our most important priorities and gave us some guidance on the process of taking things further,” said Mr Chiplin.

The next step for the group is to see how Cr Clements can further their cause after raising the groups’ issues at a future council meeting, then further observing the road when children are back at school, during nighttime and when it’s raining.

“Cr Clements said this has to be done and it should’ve been done years ago, and that he was going to help us out,” said Mr Chiplin.

After the meeting, the group went for a drive to show the councillor the affected areas.

Clifford Toomey who attended the meeting, said, “We showed him the street and recommended that he come and see what it’s like at night.”

“We also went to show him the paddock on Park Crescent that would be ideal for a kids’ playground, but it was completely overgrown.

“Cr Clements said he’d get someone down there the next day to mow it, and when I went to check it out, I saw that someone had taken care of it, as well as the corner of Violet Street.

“It was amazing to see something proactive like that.”

Mr Chiplin, who is also a proud grandfather of nine, voiced concern over the safety of the kids who regularly play together in the Hinds Street vicinity and must use the road to walk to school because of a lack of pavement.

The residents who live and work within the area have long been awaiting change.

The Winanga-Li Aboriginal Child and Family Centre sits right in the hub of Hinds Street, supporting the youth and elderly of the community and helped Mr Chiplin with the petition and the meeting.

“The Winanga-Li group look after Aboriginal kids and cook breakfast, the kids wait there to catch the bus, go there after school, and they even run elderly group activities,” said Mr Chiplin.

“Sadly, it’s taken so long until anyone came up with the idea for a petition to get something done.”

“Yes, Hinds Street has a bad rep, and yes, a lot goes down there, but people need to understand why, and that there are still a lot of people living there that need support and give it,” said Mr Chiplin.

“For the kids, little things like teaching them how to ride a bike up along a footpath, at the moment they can’t even ride a bike down there, so they are all out in the middle of the road while cars are zooming past.”

“This is something that needs urgent attention, it’s a gathering point. Tidy the place up, do this for safety reasons and for the elderly community.

“They have to catch a bus over town and ride their little buggies in the middle of road because the road is too rough to go near the gutter.”

Resident Clifford Toomey who is passionate about instilling a sense of cultural pride in the communities’ children said, “Basic lighting and paving is a start in the right direction, but wouldn’t it be something to be able to put a playground in Park Crescent?”

“Put up a playground and have all the kids put their handprints on the ground, let them do their art on the bus shelters, if they own it, they will be proud of it, and they will look after it.

“We need more constructive things for the kids to do, things they can be proud of and see themselves in.”

Overall, Mr Chiplin is thankful to the community members, Cr Clements, and the businesses that have acknowledged his cause, and says he will be here for the long run, doing as much as he can to help make a difference.

“I’d really like to thank those business owners for letting us put these petitions in their shops, and to those who helped put the petition together,” said Mr Chiplin.

“It was very good to have feedback from Cr Clements.

“I told him, I don’t want you to come here and forget us.”