Townsville mayor Jenny Hill blasts vandals after $20k in damage to Pallarenda toilets

Vandals have cost Townsville ratepayers nearly $20k after they targeted a set of toilet blocks four times in the past six months. See the latest damage.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill has vented her anger at vandals who have damaged the Pallarenda public toilets four times over the past six months, costing ratepayers close to $20,000 in repairs.

Last week, Townsville City Council acted quickly to fix $6000 worth of damage to Pallarenda Freemasons Park’s male and female toilets, with destroyed piping, ripped down signage, and pulled out cisterns and towel dispensers.

No sooner had the paint dried on repairs had the vandals struck again, ripping up and burning plumbing fixtures and leaving behind graffiti tags.

Other acts of vandalism took place on April 27, May 29, and July 4.

Cr Hill was incensed by damage to the historic buildings, which were popular community assets and the last of their type built between the Strand and Pallarenda.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill stands next to the repairs and fresh damage to the Pallarenda Freemasons Park toilets. Picture: TCC.

“I hate giving in to groups like this. To me they’re nothing but little bullies who need to be dealt with, and dealt with appropriately by the courts” Cr Hill said.

“We can put a camera here and that’s fine for a period of time, but the facts remain, we’ve got some real scum out there.

“I don’t know who their parents are, but people need to be responsible for their children.”

While it was unclear who was responsible, she blamed a core group of juvenile offenders for the destruction of council property, saying they shouldn’t be in an urban environment.

Damage done to the Pallarenda Freemasons Park toilets in early July. Picture: TCC.

“We have been doing what we can to put preventive initiatives in throughout the city including updating toilet blocks with cisterns and plumbing embedded in the walls, improving our CCTV network, better lighting, our continued community patrols and the installation of more boulders around our parks,” she said.

Queensland Police Acting Inspector Todd Noble said vandalism and wilful damage of public property was a senseless crime costing the community time and resources.

“Police do regular patrols around parks and public space across the Townsville district,” Inspector Noble said.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill outside the Pallarenda Freemasons Park's toilets, which have an uncertain future. Picture: Leighton Smith.

“Members of the public play such an important role providing vital information when reporting criminal activity.

“Everyone can play a part in crime prevention. Police encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious behaviour to contact police.”

Community consultation is under way with Townsville City Council weighing up whether to keep, upgrade, or replace the toilets with a safer, unisex cubicle design – a move opposed by a petition lodged with the council.

A meeting is planned with residents at Pallarenda Freemasons Park on Thursday at 5pm.

Originally published as Townsville mayor Jenny Hill blasts vandals after $20k in damage to Pallarenda toilets