Ovingham Underpass Email to Community Members

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for your attendance on Wednesday evening to discuss concerns of anti-social behaviours at the Ovingham Underpass/Karrarendi Yerta Kadla near Ovingham Railway Station. Your involvement in these discussions remains valuable and appreciated. We acknowledge how challenging these experiences are for our community and appreciate the input we have received so far.

As discussed at the meeting, we have prepared a key contacts list to support you and the local community which you can find attached. We have also posted a community update on our website and social media regarding Council’s response.

We continue to work closely with government agencies, community services, and cultural leaders to explore sustainable solutions. This includes options to improve safety, activate the reserve with positive community use, and ensure support is available for those who need it. We recognise the complexity of this situation and the importance of balancing community safety with respectful and considered engagement.

Immediate Measures:

• Our City Clean team have increased to proactive cleans and visit the site daily, keeping a log of what is being collected each day.
• Rapid Response crews are on stand-by for any immediate urgent requests, including weekends (i.e. broken glass/discarded needles).
• CCS Contractors continue to manage and service the public toilets daily.
• Our Community Safety Team regularly visits the site, engaging with any individuals or groups gathering there.
• Our Community Development team is maintaining daily contact with DHS Remote Visitors Outreach Team with our staff also regularly monitoring the location, engaging with people present and recording activity to pass on to relevant stakeholders.

Community Services, Agencies & SAPOL:

• Our team is engaged in ongoing discussions with targeted services and agencies to ensure a coordinated response and support further outreach and referral.
• We are in regular direct contact with South Australia Police (SAPOL), sharing information and insights. SAPOL have increased their presence at the site, are taking this very seriously and are committed to responding proactively.
• We have been in contact with the Premier’s office, who have committed to following up with both SAPOL and the Department of Human Services (DHS) regarding their involvement. The Premier is hosting a community forum at Plant 4 on Monday 15 September at 6pm.
• We are working closely with the DHS Remote Visitors Outreach team who are regularly onsite engaging with residents, business owners and visiting community.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• We are in regular contact with our counterparts at the City of Prospect to ensure our work is proactive and in collaboration.
• Our Community Safety and Community Development teams are visiting the site regularly to speak with the groups gathering to support referral to appropriate services.
• We are regularly speaking with you and other community members outlining our response and providing reassurance that we are tackling the situation holistically and seriously.
• Our Community Connections Team is in regular contact with business owners, identifying ways we can assist, and we will continue to liaise with and support them as best we can.
• We have spent time with the Churchill Greening group, speaking with community members to hear and learn from their experiences and discuss our response.
• We are working with cultural leaders and services to explore how best to support a ‘wrap around response’ through the formation of are dedicated task group (involving key agencies, DHS Outreach Team and SAPOL). We have a meeting with these agencies next week to continue to progress these discussions.
• Other avenues we continue to explore include improved lighting, installation of bollards (to prevent vehicles parking in the space late at night) and activating the location with positive community use.

Our internal working group will continue to meet weekly to coordinate these actions and maintain regular contact with all stakeholders. Our Customer Contact team have been briefed to support community members with current information and to ensure your emails or messages are passed on to the relevant staff members.

We remain committed to working together towards practical, respectful, and lasting solutions for the community.