Vandalism costs mount

• Published date: 29 September 2022
• Publication title: North Canterbury News

However in the Kaikoura district it hardly rates a mention on the councils annual budget and in the Hurunui District it’s also considered a minor item. Whether it’s deliberately damaged or sawn off road signs and route markers, insulting graffiti or tagging on public and private walls or adorning the walls in public toilets, cars or utes ripping up public green spaces, damaged or despoiled toilets in Rangiora, it is all vandalism and someone has to pay

The Waimakariri Council staff are facing an uphill battle trying to stem the flow while in nearby council districts the rate and amount of vandalism is far smaller.

A spokesperson for the Hurunui District Council says over the past financial year ending June 30 2022, there have been a total of 47 instances of vandalism which has cost the council about $23,000 in repairs.

A spokesperson for the Kaikoura District Council says the district has fortunately not experienced much vandalism in relation to council assets, beyond a small amount of graffiti / tagging from time to time and the odd broken toilet seat.

They haven’t seen a growing trend in the past couple of years as seems to have been experienced in other districts.

As a result they have determined the costs have been insignificant and not been identified separately for year on year comparison.

Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon has taken a pro-active stance on vandalism especially the ongoing vandalism of the towns public toilets, specifically in Dudley Park, by the Hockey Turf, although the facility in Acacia Avenue is a target as well.

Mayor Gordon and staff have highlighted the problem on radio and social media.

He says it is unfair for staff, not to mention the community who need to use the facilities.

WDC staff say in online posts ‘‘This costs our community money every time it happens. It stinks and stops people being able to use public toilets, and these...