Border closure: Vandals target QLD cars at Duranbah, Point Danger

Cars with Queensland number plates have been singled out by vandals in Northern NSW as anger grows over border closures.

Christian Nicoll finishes cleaning off black spray paint from a Queensland registered van that was vandlised 50 metres from the Queensland-NSW border in Tweed Heads. Photo: Scott Powick

GRAFFITI vandals targeting cars with Queensland number plates have been slammed for a low act.

Surfers returned to their cars to find black spray paint across the panels on Friday morning at Duranbah beach and Point Danger car parks.

The lines and dots on the cars appeared to have been a symptom of the growing border unrest issues associated with the coronavirus.

Matias Garcia returned home from work to see his Volkswagen van vandalised with black spray paint.

Mr Garcia bought the van just a few days ago and said he was “really annoyed” about the damage.

“Imagine that happening to your car,” he said.

“I think they (offenders) did  it fast because it’s just a black line on the side of my van.

“A guy saw me looking at my van and he helped me take it off in 10 minutes. The guy’s a legend.”

Matias Garcia finishes cleaning his van after offenders tagged it with black spray paint early this morning. Photo: Scott Powick

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Coolangatta local Christian Nicoll helped victims clean the paint off their cars with polish before they were permanently damaged.

Mr Nicoll slammed the offenders for vandalising property during a time when people were stressed and anxious.

He said in the current environment people needed to band together and start being kinder to each other.

“I was down there surfing with everyone else and when I got back to my car, I noticed a couple of cars were vandalised,” Mr Nicoll said.

“I’ve got some polish in my car and I thought I might be able to get it off.

“I managed to get all the paint off the cars in Duranbah and then I drove up to Point Danger and came across a couple more who lived in their vans.”

Mr Nicoll said the offenders would have sprayed the cars between 6–7.30am Queensland time.

He said the offenders targeted cars with Queensland number plates but there was one car damaged with NSW plates.

One of several Queensland registered cars that have been vandalised with black spray paint at Duranbah Beach, Tweed Heads. Photo: Scott Powick

“I thought it might have been a bit of localism, because the barriers are stopping people who are living in Tweed from getting to Duranbah, but the guy still surfing had NSW plates.

“All the other cars have Queensland plates. We’re not meant to be targeting each other.”

Tweed-Byron Police District commander Superintendent Dave Roptell blasted the actions of the offenders at a time the community should unite.

Supt Roptell said police patrolled the area immediately after receiving the call but could not find the offenders.

“Police and the community have come together at a time like this and then we have offenders having a total disregard for property, it’s just not on,” he said.

“If you get caught doing the wrong thing, stern action will be taken.”

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Border closure: Vandals target QLD cars at Duranbah, Point Danger