The Uniting Church at 70 Wheatsheaf Road in Glenroy has become a target for trespassers. This historic church, which has served as a cornerstone of our community for decades, is now being disrespected and damaged by unauthorized individuals. There has been an increase in such incidents over the past year, including consistant disturbance of the peace with offensive verbal arguments, violent fighting, drug usage and drug dealing, property damage and also using the backyard grounds to illegally squat in and defecate near the shared neighbours fences. This not only threatens the sanctity of the church but also poses potential safety risks to those who use it for community events and the churches surrounding neighbours. We urge the churches owners to take immediate action by implementing stricter security measures, secure their properties and enforcing penalties for trespassing offenses.

Protect the church; protect our community's heritage and
protect the Uniting Church's neighbours. 

We have also submitted a community petition that will be listed for consideration in the next Merri-bek City Council meeting in mid February 2024 which goes into detail regarding our petitions requests.
You can read an example of it below.

Please sign this petition to show your support, share with your friends and colleagues and together let's Make Glenroy Safe!

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We, the undersigned, petition Merri-bek City Council to contact the relevant owners of the properties:

The Uniting Church (Original Red Brick Church Building) at 70 Wheatsheaf Road Glenroy and 70 Wheatsheaf Road/Corner of Arglye Street Glenroy 

and address the following:
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1. Address the community issue of the unsecured and derelict property at The Uniting Church (Original Brick Church Building) at 70 Wheatsheaf Road Glenroy - which is adjacent to the additional property of concern at  76 Wheatsheaf Road Street /Corner of Arglye Street Glenroy. 
This property has become a haven for squatters, in particular a woman and man, to conduct consistent disturbance of the peace while trespassing on the property grounds throughout the day and night. This includes violent fighting, offensive verbal arguing, accessing the church backyard via the front wire fencing and using the undercover back entrance to the church property, the interior of the large metal shed and large trailer as a sleeping area. They are also using the backyard as a toilet - with trespassers passing urine and defecating near the shared back fence of local Glenroy residents. It has also been witnessed by neighbours other people meeting on the property, exchanging money/drugs with the trespassers, with these people also using illegal drugs - being ice inhaled through pipes. During the last 12 months there has been a dramatic increase in this behaviour on a regular basis, causing distress for ones safety to local residents who live directly behind the Uniting Church, in particular two families who have young children are now afraid of going outside due to the daily violent disruptions of these trespassers.  Another resident, a middle age man who is on the disability pension is now afraid to also go into his courtyard and is having consistent panic attacks due to the trespassers behaviour, due also to recently with the one of the trespassers coming onto his property via the Church's backyard. This urgent matter is a major safety and health issue for local community members with constant police presence on the property - which unfortunately to this date has resulted with no changed effect or improvement to the above issues.
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2. Address the community issue of the unsecured and derelict property at 76 Wheatsheaf Road/Corner of Arglye Street Glenroy - which is part of the Uniting Church property as mentioned above. This property is an unsightly derelict building presented in a main retail precinct of Glenroy and is near a main bus stop. The area is an active public thoroughfare for locals walking to local shops, the train station and to the new Glenroy Community Hub and Library. The property is in disarray - it is boarded up, has overgrown gardens and garden waste, broken fences, rubbish, bikes and mattresses throughout the property. This property is also being used by trespassers to squat in as mentioned above to conduct consistent disturbance of the peace with trespassing on the property grounds, this includes violent fighting and offensive verbal arguing throughout the day and night.  This urgent matter is a major safety concern for local community members with constant police presence on the property - which unfortunately to this date has resulted with no changed effect or improvement to the above issues.
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3. To ensure both properties are 100% secured, including  the installation of high fencing, trespassing signage, locked gates, locked shed and trailer and install video security monitoring to stop trespassing onto these properties - in particular the abandoned Uniting Church Building ( Original Red Brick Church) at 70 Wheatsheaf Road Glenroy.
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4. To remove all rubbish, green waste, derelict items and human waste from the property The Uniting Church Building ( Original Red Brick Church) at 70 Wheatsheaf Road Glenroy.
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5. To fix the broken fence, remove all rubbish, green waste and derelict items from the property 76 Wheatsheaf Road/ Corner of Arglye Street Glenroy

Make Glenroy Safe​!
Prevent Trespassing at the Uniting Church at 70 Wheatsheaf Road Glenroy