Vandal attack targets $80 million Pimpama Sports Hub project
Thousands of dollars worth of construction equipment has been damaged by vandals in a shocking attack on the Gold Coast’s largest community project.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
VANDALS have smashed windows, slashed tyres and poured paint over thousands of dollars worth of construction equipment – likely delaying an $80 million Gold Coast community project.
According to a Gold Coast City spokesman the site of the $80 million Pimpama Sports Hub was targeted by vandals on Saturday night.
FIRST LOOK AT THE PIMPAMA SPORTS HUB COMMUNITY PROJECT
Unfilled blockwork on the construction site was also smashed, amenities were damaged and fences and barricades were pulled down.
Heavy machinery including a tipper truck was damaged, and lewd images and offensive messaging was spray-painted across the site.
Local councillor Donna Gates said the northern Gold Coast attack was likely to have an impact on the progress of the project set to be completed in mid-2021.
“I am quite devastated, the project was going so well despite the bad weather,” Cr Gates said.
“They were pretty well on target and this will just put them back as this is a lot of machinery to replace.
“It is ratepayers fund going towards this project, how can you make sense of the act when it is a project for the community?”
GOLD COAST PARK TARGETTED IN VILE RACIST GRAFFITI
HOW PIMPAMA SPORTS HUB WILL LOOK WHEN IT’S FINISHED
The head of the Pimpama-Willow Vale crime watch page Doug Kirby said the response from the community had been strong.
“It is pretty disappointing, everyone is very angry,” Mr Kirby said.
“As a community we can just hope the company have got their own cameras and realise that if they can’t catch them they can at least post the footage so we can help identify them.”
MORE NEWS
Video: Brazen crooks ram raid Coast bottle shop
Fastest growing schools on Coast revealed
Family’s teary plea to find killers
Mr Kirby said a majority of the community believed the attack was carried out by a teen group.
“It could be bored kids, when you look at what was painted it screams youth, but then again it could be activists. The biggest issue is if they do get caught, there will be a lack of punishment. Unfortunately these kids out there are taught at school what rights they have and that even if you don’t have any respect, you can’t be touched by the law.”
The contractor ADCO Constructions have advised they will increase security measures, but the site was fully fenced and locked at the time of the attack.
The incident is being investigated by police.
The project is located on the corner of Bull and Rifle Range Road.
51yo said potential hook-up with teen girl was ‘too good to be true’
A 51-year-old man caught in a police sting said that he thought the proposed hook-up with a fictional 14-year-old girl was “too good to be true”, a court has heard. Read what he was sentenced to.
Car dealer ordered to give full refund over sale of VW lemon
A car dealer has been ordered to give a full refund to the buyer of an “immaculate” van after it was found to be a lemon.