A volunteer-run mountain biking club north of Auckland says it had been dealt a costly setback after hundreds of dollars' worth of diesel was stolen from machinery being used to build a new bike park.
Around $700 worth of diesel – roughly 200 litres – was siphoned from a digger at a forestry site where the Auckland Downhill Club is relocating its mountain bike park.
The theft was discovered this morning when operators arrived to begin work.
"It's just a punch in the guts," said club volunteer and committee member Josh Boucher.
"We're a volunteer club with very limited funds, and this is just not something we can afford."
The club is relocating its park because the planned extension of the Northern Expressway between Warkworth and Te Hana, due to begin construction early next year, will cut through the existing site.
Forestry has since provided a new location to the northeast of State Highway 1, but the area must first be cleared of heavy slash before trail construction can begin.
A local operator had volunteered both time and machinery to help prepare the site, with the digger delivered on Wednesday night. When he returned to start work, the fuel tank was empty.
Boucher said the timing could not be worse, as the relocation project had been planned well in advance and hinged on getting work done now.
"All the pieces have finally lined up. If we don’t do it now, we probably won’t be able to do it at all," he said.
The theft came against the backdrop of sharply rising diesel prices, driven by global supply pressures and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Diesel costs have surged internationally in recent weeks, flowing through to higher prices at the pump in New Zealand. Currently, the average price for 91 octane petrol is $3.45 a litre, while diesel is sitting at $3.59 a litre.
He said the theft would not stop the project but it would add pressure at a time when costs were already high.
"We’ve just had to bite the bullet and cover it ourselves, but it hurts," Boucher said.
While police have not yet been contacted, the club plans to lodge a report.
The club also appealed to the public for information, asking anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area – such as vehicles towing fuel trailers overnight – to come forward.
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