The university’s Auchmuty Library has extended its hours to a 24-hour service but it has been met with mixed reactions.

Many students are worried about the lack of parking allocated for students close to the library, decent lighting, CCTV surveillance and on-hand security personnel, which they say leaves the site open for an attack to happen.

It was concern for her safety that made Communications student Georgina Delves park in a loading zone when she needed to use the library late at night on a weekend last month.

Ms Delves was issued with a parking fine, time stamped at 8.18pm on a Saturday night.

When she inquired about it, she was told she has to park in the appropriate student-allocated places.

“The university suggested I should only take the most direct routes but the lighting is terrible.”

Ms Delves said the distance between the student car parks and the library was unreasonable.

“If the library is open for 24 hours, then they need to have the security to back it up.

“It can be dangerous, especially when you are on your own.”

However, the university’s acting deputy vice chancellor Julie Craig said the campus constantly reviewed its security measures, and the lighting on pathways and in car parks on the Newcastle campus to meet current Australian standards.

She also said the safety of staff and students was a key priority of the university.

“Staff and students can contact university security at any time, particularly after hours, to organise an escort to and from their vehicle if they have concerns for their personal safety.”

Ms Craig said parking regulations applied 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

“Some parking areas are restricted within certain time zones but are generally available for students to park in after hours.”

Newcastle University Student’s Association president Beth Maloney says students’ safety concerns need to be taken seriously.

“There are no shuttle buses, and that is something NUSA has been pushing for some time.

“Students have been issued with $150,000 in parking fines this year – why don’t they invest that money back into the students?

“The problem goes even further than that – a lot of students don’t have public transport options.

“They have no choice but to drive their car.”

A representative from WorkCover NSW stated that ‘the university definitely has a duty of care not only to the library employees, but to the patrons that use the after hours service as well’.