Woodlea Estate by VIP and Mirvac is among those to sign up for a new Neighbourhood Watch program aimed at stopping crime starting in new estates.
A dozen Victorian housing estates have signed up for a Neighbourhood Watch program specifically designed for new communities.
With a focus on shielding residents from today’s more prevalent crimes, including number-plate theft and door-to-door scammers, its backers also hope it may help speed the recovery from COVID-19.
Neighbourhood Watch chief executive Bambi Gordon said the Building Community Together initiative had already achieved positive outcomes after a year working with developers to build relationships in new streets and bolster perceptions of safety and security at new estates.
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“The research shows that if we know the people around us, we feel safe,” Ms Gordon said.
“And a lot of people have moved from another country and are buying their forever home.
“So the program can also help to break down barriers to police, which is helpful for people who have come from countries where police aren’t the friendly, wonderful people they are here.”
Homes without tall fences or landscaping to block vision to the street can deter criminals.
Ms Gordon said with more people working from home, COVID-19 had given many new communities a chance to spot scammers going door to door and alert others in the area.
“I’m also hoping we will see some street-based business networks starting up as well, from people working from home or those who have become unemployed,” she said.
A key part of the program is promoting visual connections with the neighbourhood, and encouraging residents to consider this when building fences and landscaping front gardens.
“We think that big fences and pulling our blinds down protects us, but that encourages those who see it as an opportunity to quickly and quietly break into a home,” Ms Gordon said.
“The criminals can also see if the area looks well cared for, or has a lot of lines of site from homes.”
Lotus Living’s Jubilee estate in Wyndham Vale has also signed up for the program.
Mirvac and Victorian Investments and Properties’ 711ha masterplanned Woodlea community at Aintree was among the first to sign on for the program.
Sales manager Lora Armstrong said they had partnered with Neighbourhood Watch to help build a sense of community among the development’s existing 5000 residents.
“And with the onset of COVID-19, community engagement and improvement is even more important,” Ms Armstrong said.
“When you move to a new suburb you don’t have that established community … so it can feel lonely.”
She added that things like parks — the estate now has nine — were also vital for building personal connections between residents while kids and dogs played in them.
Other participating estates in Melbourne’s west include Jubilee in Wyndham Vale, Elements in Truganina, Atherstone in Strathtulloh, and Harpley in Werribee.
The Olivine estate by Mirvac in Donnybrook also has Neighbourhood Watch programs running with residents.
To the north, the Aurora community in Wollert and Olivine and Kinbrook estates in Donnybrook are involved; to the southeast, Berwick’s Alira community and Officer’s Arcadia estate.
The Point in Point Lonsdale on the Bellarine Peninsula is also part of the program.
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