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July 23, 2024
Ratepayers face a repair bill of “at least” $270,000 after vandals targeted Kingaroy’s Memorial Park and Adermann Park in recent attacks.
An 18-year-old man and two youths were arrested after an incident on Friday night in which a fire was allegedly lit in the Memorial Park playground area.
Deputy Mayor Danita Potter said flames spread to the shade sail which then fell down, damaging other equipment.
She was very angry that the whole “littlies” play area had been basically destroyed.
“The whole playground area is going to be closed for at least a week until we can get some of the equipment fixed or replaced,” Cr Potter said.
The latest damage followed an incident in the same playground a couple of weeks ago where a fire was allegedly lit on a playground slide.
More damage is believed to have occurred in the playground on Monday night, although the extent of this is still being assessed.
Council employees were busy in Memorial Park on Tuesday morning working to make the area safe.
Some damaged play equipment and soft fall had been removed and fine woodchip spread across the cleared area.
The 18-year-old has been charged with two counts of wilful damage in relation to incidents at Memorial Park on June 30 and July 19.
A police spokesperson said two youths had also been dealt with under the Youth Justice Act in relation to these incidents, as well as alleged damage at Adermann Park on July 17.
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[UPDATED]
This is a very senseless happening by some very senseless people. What will the consequences be? Probably absolutely nothing or next to nothing. And they will relish the probable agreeable attention from their totally senseless peers too.
Not good enough. Vandalism is just not on. Far too much of wasted resources and disruptions (and our rates have to go up to cover this also). Also, the Council workers have other important things to do with their time (like maybe fixing potholes).
My humble suggestion is to bring in what they do in Singapore with the rattan. Do it publicly in the place of the offence; have it open to the public (including the said peers) and watch vandalism stop.
If the consequence was an awfully sore backside, not to mention the public shaming then surely the senseless louts may have a second thought before they ruin something others use and need.
These days some juvies and wanna-be juvies do certainly rule the roost! No respect left or even there in the first place, Don’t blame the community with claims of nothing to do for people. Nowadays there is ever so much for people to entertain themselves without resorting to destroying things.
The rattan would slow vandalism down AND give the rest of us entertainment also.
Hopefully Council will recover every single dollar from the vandals and their parents. That should teach them a lesson – some people only learn when their hip pocket is hit. Why should the taxpayer have to pay for the repair costs? Maybe installing surveillance cameras on this site might be a money-saving investment.
Disgruntled, Singapore’s corporal punishment system is nothing like what you may have experienced at school. It involves torn flesh and blood. More like the cat o’nine tails.
https://transformativejusticecollective.org/2023/10/20/getting-caned-by-the-singaporean-state
I despise the senseless vandalism and the cost to the community, but 21st century problems don’t deserve 18th century “solutions”. And to suggest it could be public entertainment …
I hope our Council sue the vandals (and their parents) to recover the cost of this vandalism. Ratepayers shouldn’t have to cop the bill for this, and I think having to repay $270,000 would send a clear message to both vandals and their irresponsible parents that if you do a crime, you will wind up doing time – even if that time just involves getting a job where your pay packet is garnisheed for several years until you’ve repaid the debt..