At the Parramatta Justice Precinct, along the Riverside Walk, a community of homeless people has formed, contributing to piles of rubbish along the banks of the river and allegedly hurling profanities at passers-by.
When Parra News met with former Parramatta Councillor Henry Green at Good George Café, he was in disbelief at the gradual downfall of his beloved city.
“I’ve been in Parramatta since 1947 and I’ve seen the changes. It used to be a beautiful city, but now it’s gone so bad. People feel threatened and they don’t want to come to Parramatta,” Green explained.
“The main problem we have is homeless people living in the Precinct and throwing their rubbish into Parramatta River.”
Green explained that the entirety of the local government area is impacted, and he wants to see more authority placed into local hands.
“I want police and Council to have more power to fix this problem,” Green stated.
“This is a State Government problem – not a Council or police problem. Police don’t have the right to move them along. If you talk to some of the businesspeople around here, they are astounded by the abuse and language coming from these people.”
Good George Café is just down the road from the Justice Precinct at the gates of Parramatta Park, and worker Mario Ciceran has recently experienced ill-treatment from displaced people.
“We tried looking after the homeless people here, but the last eight months of last year we were harassed,” Ciceran recounted.
“We would reduce the prices and give them water, but then they broke into our freezers. We put chains on the freezers, but they smashed them open; they smashed open the window, they stole our chairs and harassed our customers.”
The café quickly lost its clientele.
“I was physically assaulted twice, and my boss’ son was assaulted and had to go to hospital after his earring was ripped out. It was only then that the police decided to move them on, but they only moved around the corner,” Ciceran reported.
“After they were gone, it only took two days for our customers to come back. We have nothing against homeless people – I’ve been down before – but you need to carry on and find something within.”
Green attributes part of the problem to a lack of mental health assistance.
“I’m disappointed in governments – especially the State Government that closed all the mental hospitals. They closed Parramatta, Rydalmere, and Callan Park and just discarded the homeless,” he stated.
A Parramatta City Council spokesperson told Parra News they are working to improve the situation.
“City of Parramatta works closely with local services to support people impacted by homelessness across the local area,” they said.
“Council is aware of a group located at the Western Sydney Local Health District building in the CBD. Many have already vacated the area and Homes NSW is working with those remaining to find appropriate accommodation.
“Council is responsible for maintaining public spaces… Abandoned materials are cleared regularly and Council conducts deep cleans once a site has been cleared.”
Ally Hall joined the team 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She is a graduate of the University of South Australia.