Special needs swing stolen from Shaun Brinklow Park, Copacabana
THE recently-installed special needs swing in Shaun Brinklow Park in Copacabana has been stolen.
Central Coast
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THE recently-installed special needs swing in Shaun Brinklow Park at Copacabana has been stolen.
The “accessible swing” appears to have been cut clean off its chains from the popular park on Pampas Avenue.
The theft has devastated local families, including Briohny Kennedy whose son Archie has been using the swing every weekend.
Mrs Kennedy said she noticed the swing was missing yesterday morning.
“The last time I saw it was on Tuesday morning, as I drive past there most days,” she said.
“Whoever took it has got the equipment/bolt cutters and cut it off. It makes me think it was deliberate and not just vandals.”
A spokeswoman from Central Coast Council has confirmed the swing was not taken down by the council, and that council has already ordered a replacement swing.
Mts Kennedy aid Archie, who has a severe intellectual disability and extreme hyperactivity, has been loving the swing since it was installed earlier this year.
“We’ve been there every weekend and some days after school,” she said.
“He just loves it. It’s devastating that someone has taken it away. I have spoken to council and they said they will aim to replace it as quickly as they can.”
Mrs Kennedy has recently been lobbying for more inclusive parks across the Central Coast, including fenced areas and inclusive equipment.
“As we continue the fight for the park to become more inclusive with proper fencing and flooring it seems to be one step forward and two steps back,” she said.
The Express contacted the Brisbane Water Police District who said the theft had not been reported.