Palmerston North’s mayor says the community is “absolutely gutted” after public toilets at a playground were vandalised for the third time in a week.
Photos posted to social media show mirrors shattered and toilets destroyed, rendering the Victoria Esplanade playground’s toilets unusable.
“It’s a bit of disbelief, really, and it’s a bit of an understatement to say we’re disappointed,” Mayor Grant Smith told Breakfast.
“We’re absolutely gutted.”
He said vandals caused around $260,000 in damage, with ratepayers needing to foot the bill.
“These are public toilets in our botanical gardens, in our Victoria Esplanade. It’s a garden of national significance, and it’s just bizarre that a small number of people can destroy something that so many people enjoy,” he said.
Smith said the city had been dealing with a lot of vandalism recently. At the recent rural games, vandals tried to light marquees on fire, and he said other parks have seen fire vandalism, too.
He called it a “huge problem” for councils across New Zealand.
In a post to Facebook, the council said the alleged offenders were caught.
Smith said a family meeting with the youths will be held.
“We want the community to out them and say, this is not normal behaviour.
“Just to make sure they understand what they consider just being bored or a bit of fun, is absolutely causing mayhem for not only or residents.”
In a statement to 1News police said it "received reports of wilful damage on Victoria Esplanade Drive on Friday morning".
"Enquiries were made, but due to no lines of enquiry, the matter has been filed for the time being."
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