Repeated vandal attacks on the vehicles of elderly residents at Heatherlie Homes in Warrnambool's CBD are behind a call to the city council for better lighting.
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Heatherlie Homes executive officer of governance and residence services Lyn Burns said some of the residents' cars had been vandalised two, three or four times each.
Windows have been smashed on residents' cars, panels dented and scratched, badges stolen from the rear of three different vehicles and one had a rear view mirror broken off.
Vandals have also snapped or bent car windscreen wipers and aerials. "For one resident that happened three times," Mrs Burns said.
"One lady is terrified to go out a night to the car because she's afraid with the bushes there someone could be hiding in it.
"It's just not lit at all.
"We're just wondering if the council could see fit to put into their budget to allow for lighting to happen over the angle parks to make it safer for our residents who do go out at night."
Mrs Burns said they hoped the lighting would act as a deterrent for any would-be vandals, just like the security cameras had been when they were installed about eight years ago.
In a submission to the council's draft budget, Mrs Burns said the angle car parks between Heatherlie and the Uniting Church used by the residents were poorly lit.
"Whilst our security cameras cover our residents' vehicles, when an incident occurs, the footage is too dim for the police to identify suspects or for residents to use for insurance claims," she said in the submission which was presented to a council meeting on Monday.
"If the area was better lit, residents would feel safer accessing their cars of an evening, and possibly would-be vandals might be less willing to do damage to other people's property."
Mrs Burns said she had contacted councillors about the issue.
"They're quite disturbed that the residents are feeling unsafe and having their property damaged," she said.
Mrs Burns said it would be really nice if the council could do something about it.
"We just keep chipping away. We'll just keep asking," she said.
Mrs Burns said it only took 14 years to get the pedestrian crossing built out the front of Heatherlie Homes.
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