I am consigned to such an urban hell-hole too, trying to get away as much as I can. It is absolutely culturally inappropriate, but the authorities are unwilling to allow me to transfer to a quieter regional area in the south of the state. My local member doesn't give a toss as its a highly safe labor seat and the greens (on the record defending antisocial public housing tenants from expanded powers of eviction given to Housing NSW) don't give a toss either. Unfortunately I'm not kaffir or this would be another avenue to get what I'm after easily. I see us as being an authoritarian free-market state, and if we were a democracy, why can't I have the right when using the Housing service to choose something as simple as ceasing my current residence and taking up one outside the metropolitan area. I also forgot about the hundreds of BA and SocWk graduates (lacking capcity to undertake more rigorous study), who want to foster our dependency on their services, they want us close by rather than outside the urban area, so they can pursue their urban lifestyles and cushy sinecures in nearby, but safe and aesthetically pleasing neighbourhoods!

Responsibility for the care and protection of the weakest and most vulnerable in society is too often regarded as something that should be left entirely to the police, or the government.

If a community doesn't respect the fact that it is an obligation for all to contribute in the care and protection of all members of the community, and impart that to it's youngest members through example, then it follows that the different, the weak and the vulnerable are the ones to suffer most.

Private consumption and personal achievement have largely replaced a sense of community, and by doing gradually disfigured the "human" face of society. Young people need a sense of belonging, and when it is not available through a community structure, they find it amongst themselves, forming groups without an effective sense of limits set by behavioural conventions.

Solidarity, trust, civic friendship - they are all out there, and we don't really realise how much we miss them - but it will take effective leadership and strong role models to put us back in touch with them.

I couldn't agree more, we are losing the sense of community day by day, personal desires are taking over and it is harder and harder to gain some kind of relationship with your fellow neighbours and people who live in the same area as you. People these days have forgotten the importance of looking out for one another and sharing a sense of belonging to one place. It's rather sad and the only thing I think could help this is by some innovative community activities..

It is ridiculous to suggest that this tragedy could have been averted if neighbours had more 'sense of community'. The neighbours themselves were probably being threatened too and even if they weren't, precisely what action could they take? Maybe they could all link hands and sing Kumbaya and that would ward off the louts? Government legislation has ensured that members of the public have no means to defend themselves and even if they did they would face severe penalties.

Excepting in NSW, where citizens have some rights in respect of home invasion, Australia is no better than the UK because the thugs have all of the rights and home owners cannot defend themselves and their families. To do so, ie defend oneself or family at home, carries the certainty of serious charges even where the thug was armed to the teeth.

In Australia as in the UK, the public has been disarmed and governments continue to make the promise - which they know full well they cannot keep - that citizens will be always be protected by police and have no need to defend themselves. Criminals know that members of the public cannot defend themselves, that police response times are wretchedly slow and sometimes police may not attend at all.

This is why there is a trend towards secure, gated communities with private security guards.

How could such a dreadful thing happen in a country with a Human Rights Act?