The street names of Macquarie Fields conjure up images of paradise: tea tree, hibiscus, rosewood, peppermint, wild orange. But appearances are deceptive in the sleepy suburb nestled in bushland southwest of Sydney. Young lives have been lost, blood has been shed and Anglicans like Prue Gregory are left to heal the wounds.
The legal aid practitioner is frustrated with a society she believes has failed Macquarie Fields. Frustrated by stories her clients tell her of the TV news helicopters constantly circling over their homes. Frustrated by the lack of services, lack of transport and government benefits for young people that keep them "below the poverty line'.
"There was general level of disquiet in Macquarie Fields leading up to the riots," she said. "The [violence] is poverty-related. We're talking about a community in crisis."
Four nights of rioting after a police pursuit of a stolen car on February 25 left two teenagers dead and another on the run has Australia searching for answers. Police, politicians and psychologists have offered a multitude of solutions to the wave of violence, including giving more attention to public housing, spiralling unemployment and animosity between police and residents.
Prue Gregory, who works at the only outreach centre in Macquarie Fields, says summer heat and heightened tensions between neighbours in the run down public housing estate are also to blame.
The centre, known as Connect, is funded by the Archbishop of Sydney's Community Care and Development Program and assisted by volunteers from Glenquarie Anglican Church. It is situated in Eucalyptus Drive, the street where the young men were killed last month.
According to the solicitor, who also provides Anglican-funded legal aid in Claymore and Darlinghurst, the solution is to find young people jobs.
However, this requires travel outside of Macquarie Fields and public transport is costly. Most of her clients do not own cars and are single parents.
"We are dealing with a disadvantaged community who are told by society they are worthless," she said.
