Vandalism costs Tasman $100k over past year

Vandalism across Tasman District has cost ratepayers at least $100,000 over the past year.

So far this year at the Avery Pavilion in the Saxton Field complex, which is jointly owned by Tasman District and Nelson City Councils, there have been several windows broken by paving stones, a fire lit in a toilet cubicle, a roller door caved in from a vehicle collision, and tampering with the gas unit.

Tasman council's reserves and facilities manager Grant Reburn says the damage is frustrating for him and his team.

“Inevitably it impacts on the regular schedule of work which means that staff have to divert their attention to repairing damage and making our reserves and facilities safe, clean and functional again. It is valuable time that is lost to this.”

The $100,000 cost includes prevention measures in addition to the price of repair, but not staff time.

Grant says the gas unit vandalism specifically was a safety concern but added that the council has since made adjustments to the cage so it is not so easily damaged in future.

Rows of seating, including the metal frame holding them together, have also been stolen from the Sports Park Motueka Grandstand. Some seats there were also burned.

The instances of vandalism at the Saxton Field complex and at the Motueka Grandstand are expected to cost several thousand dollars each to repair.

While these significant incidents cost a lot, smaller-scale and more frequent bouts of vehicle vandalism, graffiti, and toilet damage – which can include fittings, sinks, hand dryers, and soap dispensers being ripped off walls and smashed windows – also drive up the price tag of repairs for ratepayers.

Rural toilets and those in Richmond seem to bear the brunt of the vandalism.

Grant says Tasman the two councils were in conversations with security providers about potentially installing CCTV cameras at Saxton Field to try and curb the vandalism there.

Tasman council staff are also investigating the potential of installing cameras at Sports Park Motueka.

But cameras aren’t cheap and can cost $3,000 to be installed.

Grant assures that more cost-effective alternatives – such as signage, bollards, and security gates – have and will be used elsewhere when suitable.

“These incidents were reported to police at the time,” he adds. “Where we have been able to follow up and identify offenders, we have in some instances received compensation for damage done.”

In March, the Nelson App also reported that damage to Nelson's public toilets alone had cost $27,000 since July 2022.

Nelson City Council’s acting group manager community services, Martin Croft says there has been an additional $12,000 of damage done since March which consists mostly of graffiti, smashed pans, broken toilet seats, broken or stolen soap dispensers, and broken hand dryer units.

He adds that there has also been a lot of damage caused by cars driving on sports fields.

“Vandalism continues to cost us as a community.”

Martin says new security cameras have been installed at the entrances to Tāhunanui Beach and overlooking Tāhunanui Reserve in response to complaints about antisocial behaviour and vandalism.

The cameras positioned on Bisley Walk and Houndsell Circle, which rings the Natureland Wildlife Trust, have number plate readers, and a third camera looks out over the sports field.

The cameras were installed on 3 July and cost $16,000.