WHEN one shooting in Merrylands was followed by a second, a third, and more since, resident Geoff Hinds thought deeply about the situation.
"Everybody's got a different opinion on why it's happening," he said.
"I just felt that there's a hidden problem there.
"I know that the Nomads and Hells Angels are responsible, and some of [the shootings] were family feuds, but underneath it all there's drug industry.
"If we've got social problems in Holroyd that nobody wants to talk about, something needs to be done."
He has proposed that the Uniting Church building at Memorial Avenue be turned into a youth and community space, and named the Ted Noffs Memorial Centre for the reverend and humanitarian who began his life's work from the church.
"I was re-reading the biography of Ted Noffs which said it was in that church building on Memorial Avenue that he decided on the path that led him to form the life education centres and the Wayside Chapel," Mr Hinds said.
The building is vacant and there has been no confirmation that it's for sale.
Mr Hinds believes a community centre for general use with programs similar to the youth education and drug programs run by the Ted Noffs Foundation would be beneficial.
He has sent emails with the suggestion to Holroyd Council, Dick Smith and relatives of Ted Noffs who currently run the foundation.
The only response came from the foundation.
"One of the Noffs' boys sent me an email and it said 'Why not Mt Druitt?'
"But if there are social problems in our area why not Merrylands?"