By Brendan Rees and Cam Lacadou-Wells
Casey Council will call on the State Government to take urgent action for dangerous cars to be “crushed.”
Council resolved to write to Premier Daniel Andrews requesting that hoon related behaviour result in cars being “confiscated and crushed without any opportunity for negotiation.”
Cr Amanda Stapledon, who spoke to the motion at a council meeting held on Thursday 9 November, urged the State Government to target hoons after referring to an incident during daylight on Melbourne Cup Day, describing the driver behaviour as “unashamed” and “brazen.”
She hoped the motion would act as the “greatest deterrent and discouragement of continued behaviour.”
Council will also write to Casey Highway Patrol to add their “surveillance and tasking” to include Heather Grove, Cranbourne East; Springhill Drive, Cranbourne, and Rosebank Drive in Cranbourne North.
Cr Stapledon said this action would act as a “deterrent” and a way of catching hoon drivers, providing “assurance to our community that their roads will be a little safer.”
She said there needed to be “stricter crushing of cars” hooning around in the Mayfield Ward.
“They make a lot of noise, mostly in the night-time when people want to sleep.”
Cr Stapledon said it created a feeling of being unsafe in the neighbourhood.
She said a stick should be used rather than carrots (incentives).
“The best deterrent for someone engaging in hooning behaviour is for them to recognise they might lose their car … they won’t get it back and it’s crushed.”
She said: “We need our police better empowered and able to apprehend and penalise the people doing this.”
Then-mayor Sam Aziz added: “There isn’t room for carrots in this business if a child is killed or injured.
“We should catch these idiots out and teach them a lesson. We value the lives of innocent people and our children who are our future.”
Council also resolved to post on Casey Council’s website and Facebook page to help residents take appropriate action if they witnessed hoon related behaviour and could help identify offenders.
Casey Highway Patrol’s Sergeant Pat McGavigan said Casey had “numerous reports” of intentional high-risk drivers across the municipality, including the areas mentioned by Cr Stapledon.
“Police regularly patrol these roads in marked and unmarked vehicles and detect and prosecute offenders.”
He said Victoria Police had regular meetings with road safety partners including Casey Council and VicRoads to identify problems and possible solutions.
Sgt McGavigan advised people to contact triple-zero if intentional high-risk driving was occurring, or if the incident had occurred to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
It is expected a report will return to council for the first meeting of February next year, regarding the progress of “strong penalties legislated by the State Government.”
