Dennis Veigel
I was really grateful to get a new house, new neighbours and a new life

I thought it was excellent when I moved here. We joined the football club, the kids went to Sarah Redfern, they played rugby and soccer. We went to all the outings with them and we still go with a lot of people from here on outings. I’ve been here 28 years now.

I was living in Hurstville and we were offered a newer house and we took it. We weren’t making a lot of money so it was an opportunity to move house and start a new life. The kids were young. When we first arrived we had four, now we’ve got seven. They all went to Sarah Redfern [School].

I was ecstatic when I saw our new house. It was brand new. The roads weren’t finished and the street lights weren’t working properly when we first moved in, but it was a new community. You had a hundred and something kids in the street and we all knew everybody. Everyone watched everyone else’s kids. Back then the kids could walk around in the middle of the night and you didn’t have to worry. Now you have to worry at night because of the gangs roaming around out here. They’re not actually gangs, they’re just young kids who don’t know what to do so they just hang around together.

I’ve been in security for the last 15 years. Before that I was a truck driver. You worked so much here and so much there, you never knew. I was really grateful to get a new house, new neighbours and a new life.

My kids had a good life, they were happy, they still talk about their days here. The kids have all moved on with their lives and now are spread from Cairns to Gosford.

I’ve been told our house is staying, and the big road in the front of our house is not going to be at the back anymore, it’s going to be here where the footpath is and anything we have, they’ll replace, if they’ve got to take it down.

I’m just going to retire and enjoy life with my wife. Go on little trips and probably join a couple of groups. Maybe… get into a bit of charity work.

I don’t know if I will leave, they’d have to throw me out. I really like this place, I always have from the day I came here, it’s God’s country.