Council’s Stuart Park anti-hoon action plan remains a work in progress

Wollongong City Council is still assessing how best to respond to a recent spate of night-time vandalism attacks that wrecked several grassy areas at Stuart Park in North Wollongong.

During the night, on a number of occasions over the past six months, hoons have driven their vehicles over kerbs and onto the grass before performing burn-outs, gouging deep ruts into the turf.

In the most recent attacks, described by Member for Wollongong Paul Scully as “simply stupid behaviour”, the targeted area was within the skydiving drop zone, creating a potential hazard when landing.

Ward Two Councillor Andrew Anthony again called on the community to report any signs of trouble in the area to police. He has also asked Council staff to look at options to help either deter or catch the offenders.

A Council spokesperson told The Illawarra Flame that finding a long-term solution to the growing problem of vandalism and anti-social behaviour in North Wollongong has its challenges. The cost to fix the problem appears to be the major hurdle.

“In August-September 2025, Council trialled placement of temporary CCTV cameras in the Stuart Park precinct to ascertain their effectiveness as a deterrent and in capturing vision of offences,” the spokesperson said. “The trial also investigated the costs involved in installing, maintaining and monitoring temporary cameras.

“While CCTV cameras can act as a deterrent, permanent installation in Stuart Park presents several challenges, including significant installations and ongoing maintenance costs, and demanding power and connectivity requirements.

“Footage captured could only be used to assist retrospective investigations as cameras cannot be actively monitored. Additional costs would likely include new lighting infrastructure to support the use of cameras, given the low levels of lighting in Stuart Park at night, particularly in areas where vandalism and antisocial behaviour is known to occur.

“The costs associated with CCTV and lighting are significantly more than repairing the turf when and if this occurs.

“Council will continue to seek advice and support from NSW Police, and from the community in reporting acts of vandalism, and to investigate preventative measures.

“We will also consider broader activation strategies for the precinct to increase night-time community usage of the park to limit opportunities for antisocial behaviour,” the Council spokesperson added.