A Samsonvale man is calling on Moreton Bay Regional Council to be more compassionate towards victims of crime.

Shane Dwyer fears for his safety after Council denied his request for information following a neighbourhood complaint.

Mr Dwyer said the objection made to Council by an anonymous neighbour, to which he was complied, has led to him to feel traumatised.

Twelve years ago his brother was murdered by a neighbour, whose identity remained anonymous to the victim following a complaint to their local council.

“Unfortunately this has brought back some memories and some grief to me because my brother, in 2000, had a similar incident occur,” Mr Dwyer said.

“He received complaints from the council that were made by a neighbour, about the placements of the wheelie bins on the footpath outside his block of flats.

“My brother made several enquiries and appeals under FOI (freedom of information) to the council so he could find the name of the complainant and negotiate in a civil manner.

“He was denied the name of the complainant… and in the end this complainant stabbed my brother to death and murdered him.

“At that time my brother still did not know that the person that murdered him was in fact the same person complaining, and the same person he appealed to find out their name so he could negotiate.”

Mr Dwyer fears a neighbourhood dispute centred on his Postmans Track property could have an unpleasant outcome, if it is not swiftly resolved.

His attempts to find the source of the complaint, to allow civil negotiation between neighbours “based on keeping the public peace”, was denied by Council.

“I’ve seen neighbourhood disputes get quite ugly and result in death, and that’s why in this neighbourhood dispute, I applied under FOI using compassionate, keeping the public peace, and FOI ‘pro-disclosure’ grounds,” Mr Dwyer said.

“Just as the case with my brother I too am denied this opportunity to ascertain the identity of a provocative neighbour-hood complainant.

Mr Dwyer believes Moreton Bay Council hasn’t complied with Section 8 of the Victims of Crime Act, which outlines that a victim of crime should be “treated with respect and compassion and dignity”.

“I’m not using it as leverage, by any means, but the circumstances certainly dictate that I be treated a bit better,” he said.

Mr Dwyer said Council proposed he erect a 1.2km fence around his property, which he says would dissect a neighbour’s driveway.

Police told him a fence line along the narrow road would present a traffic hazard and it has to be removed.

Mr Dwyer claims his dealings with local councillor Bob Millar (Division 11) has “only resulted with Cr Millar writing to me stating he wants no involvement with any council matters I have concern with”.

Cr Millar, who said he was unaware of Mr Dwyer’s family history before being contacted by The Westerner, maintains the land dispute is not a Council issue.

“The advice given from Council is that it’s not a Council matter but rather a civil issue,” he said.

Cr Millar said it was Council’s duty to maintain the anonymity of people who make complaints about other residents.

“It’s not appropriate that Council provide information about these matters,” he said.

“If we start giving people information… they could take some sort of retribution.

“It’s terribly sad that this man has this terrible past in his history.

“If I was in that situation I would be working terribly hard with my neighbours to find a solution.”

Mr Dwyer said the situation had left him “traumatised and unhappy.”

“An event like the murder of a loved one during one’s life makes a person fully aware of the ugly side of human nature, and you automatically become less trusting of all other humans,” he said.

“This guy that murdered my brother is a nut case who went through mental health.

“How do I know that the person that’s complained about me isn’t a nutter?

“I am extremely cautious and very much so untrusting of neighbours more so now, and have no faith in our councillors and council.”