MACQUARIE FIELDS RIOTS
Reverend the Hon. Dr GORDON MOYES: Until recently many of us would not have known the whereabouts of, or much about, a suburb by the name of Macquarie Fields. The suburb was flung into the community’s consciousness on Saturday morning with the news that two teenagers had been killed in the area as a result of a police pursuit the night before. The car that the teenagers were driving was stolen. Perhaps the three occupants had many convictions between them, as I am led to believe. Since then we have heard much about the fierce animosity that some members of the Macquarie Fields community—mostly young people—feel for the Police Force. Riots followed the fatal crash on Friday, during which groups of rioters hurled rocks, bottles, and fire and chemical bombs at police. Consecutive nights of clashes on Macquarie Fields streets caused much unease and distress for both the community and police.
Many have questioned why the Macquarie Fields community is rife with conflict. Is the Police Force not doing its job properly or is the youths’ behaviour so illegal that it warrants police attention? Youths living in Macquarie Fields are socially disadvantaged. I know this as I have staff who work there and in adjacent areas. I am informed that the average weekly family income in Macquarie Fields, which has a relatively young population, is far below the average for Sydney. For example, it is estimated that the average income of families in Macquarie Fields is between $700 and $800 per week, whereas the average for the rest of Sydney is between $1,000 and $1,200 per week. However, weekly rent in the suburb is regarded as the lowest in all Sydney rental markets.
The number of houses rented from the housing authority is greater than the number of houses owned outright in this suburb. The area has an unemployment rate of more than 12 per cent, which is almost double that of the Sydney average. Therefore, the socioeconomic status of this suburb reveals that many of its members are what we describe as “socially disadvantaged”. I have spent all of my life seeking to ameliorate the plight of socially disadvantaged people, but I cannot accept that social disadvantage is a reason to target police in a vicious and disturbing manner. The assaults on our police and the alarming graffiti pledging death to all police are not signs of a healthy community. I believe that the tragic fatal car crash on 26 February has brought out one of the real reasons behind the conflict: that many youth in the area have just chosen the wrong lifestyle.
The Bible sets out clearly that we have a choice between what is life and good or what is death and evil. That means that all of us, disregarding our circumstances, have the power to choose to make decisions for positive outcomes or to make decisions that have negative repercussions. Unfortunately, a portion of the youth in Macquarie Fields have made wrong choices and have been caught up in a lifestyle that has spiralled downwards, accelerated by abuse of alcohol and other drugs. Some have said that the lack of sporting facilities or, more broadly, outlets for distraction is partly to blame. I asked my staff to check on the details. I argue that this is not the reason for the conflict that has ensued but that the youth have not made the right decisions that led to their benefit. For example, rather than play any of the field sports that are provided for them, or swim in the several swimming pools, or work out with weights, youths prefer to steal a car. Macquarie Fields has become the centre of car rebirthing in Australia. Many young people in Macquarie Fields have very serious police records. A number of youth, according to my staff, have criminal records for serious crimes.
Macquarie Fields has sporting fields, swimming pools and three full-time council-paid recreational officers, which is more than almost any other community in Sydney. Although I agree that the response to the conflict needs a multifaceted approach, I do believe that the buck stops with the youth. The youth need to make good decisions that lead to good outcomes. Furthermore, police in the area ought to be supported. Seeds, albeit small to begin with, need to be sown by all sides to cultivate better working relationships in this very troubled suburb. 2 March 2005.
