WAIKERIE’S water and nature park has been vandalised, with several pieces of equipment rendered unusable due to the damage.
The Waikerie Water and Nature Play Park, situated at the river front, saw extensive vandalism acted upon many of its features, including the pin board, magnifying glass and spray rocks.
Park co-founder Donna Matthews said it was “shocking” to see the senseless damage in the park.
“It was sad enough to hear the council have had to remove all the river stones this week around the waterway as they were being thrown into the lawn, creating a hazard when mowing,” she said.
“But to see the drums, magnifying glass, pin board, chimes and spray rocks all vandalised and some unusable after its short 18 months is just horrible.
“As one of the volunteer builders of the park, it makes me very sad, especially considering our local community raised funds to make it a reality.”
Member for Chaffey Tim Whetstone also spoke out against the destruction, and told the Murray Pioneer he was “utterly disappointed” to see the vandalism.
“It’s extremely disrespectful to the whole community and to all those that volunteered their time to create this area,” he said.
“Significant effort has gone into delivering the project to provide a great space and play area for children, and to see this type of destruction is frustrating.
“The community should be able to take ownership of these types of projects that benefit locals and attract visitors to the region.
“If anyone sees anyone engaging in anti-social behaviour or causing damage to any community asset, please contact the police immediately.”
The District Council of Loxton Waikerie has been notified and asked to look into the security system prior to replacing any features.