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MOUNT DRUITT: WORDS FROM TM, A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF MOUNTY

Most of the g*ng talk stuff didn’t pop off until 2016-2018 because of OneFour, postcode wars and the media speaking on them. 

It obviously existed prior, but no one really batted an eye at it. And if you didn’t mess with people, then no one messed with you. The postcode war and OneFour’s presence is talked about so much in the media that it’s just overplayed and unnecessary to be spoken on. Maybe it’s just what the youngins want to hear.

I’ve been living in the area since the early 2010s, seeing struggle in many of the locals. Living paycheck to paycheck. What really stood out to me was the Indigenous people around the area, which was a small community. 

My very first neighbour was Aboriginal, and you could often hear the male beating his partner without a care for who was around. They would also throw a lot of parties. It was a constant cycle. Honestly, you also never knew who lived in some of the houses because there would be a lot of people going in and out.

You would also see a lot of junkies at the bus stop area, at the stairs of the station, in front of the kebab store or 7/11. Nowadays, not so many. They were harmless but just didn’t look well. 

Around 2016, there was a movement from the locals helping the kids get off the streets by forming sporting youth groups focusing on Oz Tag, league and sport events. I saw a lot of that around the area, and nowadays, it’s become a lot bigger. Keeping the kids busy with touch and Oz Tag tournaments. I can’t recall the names of the original organisation. But FTA is one of them. 

I’ve also seen the rise of more youth crime. A lot more serious crimes as of recent, which is alarming – st*bbings, house invasions. But working at Foot Locker, located right in front of the food court, you really got to see shit go down. 

School fights; one that stands out was these Chifley College boys, where a pack of Islanders were chasing these few African boys. We heard it was because one of the Africans was hitting on the Islanders' missus or something? You saw chairs, tables and even concrete vases go flying. I have no idea how someone even lifted a concrete vase because those were heavy.

Outside of low socioeconomic status and negativity, Mount Druitt is very family-oriented. Many young families are just trying to live a good life, subjective for every household. But I love the people here, and I don’t think I’d move out of Mount Druitt or go too far. 

You either love it or hate it. The people here are mostly kind and respectful. Everything you hear on the news, we hear too, but it is always amplified more than it really is.

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