Rotorua's eastside community have lost their go-to barbecue for end-of-year events after a thief hitched up a community group’s trailer and drove off in heavy rain.
The Mokoia Community Association's barbecue trailer was stolen from its Vaughan Rd premises in the suburb of Ōwhata at around 1am on Wednesday.
Funding and partnerships manager Kim Marsters said the trailer's loss would affect the area's children the most. The association usually lends it to six schools and around five kōhanga between now and Christmas.
"This isn’t just affecting us and our mahi, but it affects our children and the positive impact we’re trying to have on the eastside, for our local communities and schools," she told 1News.
Security cameras recorded a lone man parking on the roadside, walking down the driveway with an umbrella and removing every lock on the trailer.
“He’s just dragged it himself out onto the main road and hooked it up onto his vehicle and driven straight down the road,” Marsters said.
Power poles obscured the vehicle's number plate and the rain made the images difficult to read.
The trailer is black and covered in the association's logos in green, white and blue. It also bears the symbol of the Tatau Pounamu Collective, which leads community initiatives with the association.
Sports equipment worth more than $1200 was inside, along with three branded gazebos and tables and chairs.
Marsters said that gear was needed for the association’s free community event on December 17.
"I use it to feed everyone as well. It’s all free for the community."
Marsters said the association’s online appeal had been shared more than 300 times, and people had offered to lend barbecues.
"We’re really grateful for the community of Rotorua, not just the eastside, but just how many people have come behind it to support what’s happened," she said.
She said the association had been flooded with sightings on social media.
"We’ve had an abundance of messages on social media of people saying they’ve spotted the vehicle, not the trailer."
Police confirmed it had received a report about the theft.
"Police are making initial inquiries."
For now though, Marsters said there was still work to be done.
"We’ve got to continue serving, so we’ll move on with it."
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