Fawkner Netball Club targeted by arsonists and vandals

Vandals continue to wreak havoc on a popular sporting club in Melbourne’s north, breaking toilets and torching bins. Now the club is fighting back.

Fawkner Netball Club is grappling with escalating incidents of attacks on its grounds.

A sports club in Melbourne’s northern suburbs continues to be targeted by vandals with an arson attack the latest in a long line of attacks in the past 12 months.

Heartless vandals stole a council bin at Fawkner Netball Club last week, removing it from its frame and setting it alight on the spectator benches.

A council bin was torched near the spectator benches.

Arsonists took a council bin, detached it from its fixture, and set it on fire on the spectator benches.

The netball club on Charles Mutton Reserve also had a break-in earlier this year, with offenders smashing the club’s south-facing window to get inside.

Club secretary Jade Rankin said CCTV would be installed to give an added level of protection

“We’ve had constant arson on the toilet doors where they’re constantly being burned,” she said

“The public toilet has been repeatedly destroyed. Even when the council would replace the toilet, it would be destroyed again in a few days, so that stays locked permanently now.

“We‘ve finally gotten approval from the council to install CCTV cameras, which we’ve been fighting for most of the year.”

The public toilet has often been targeted by vandals.

If the toilets aren’t being set on fire, they are being smashed.

The club has also had post pads destroyed, netball rings bent and graffiti sprayed on the pavilion.

Ms Rankin said the club was left to spend fundraising grants for the community and children towards security.

“It‘s just really disheartening and unfortunate...We don’t want the members to be discouraged by what’s going on,” she said.

The attacks have hindered the club‘s growth, with concerns of vandalism casting a shadow over its prospect of expanding, she said.

“We‘re really hesitant on installing outdoor blinds which will create a social space for our members because of the damage that might come,” she said.

“We wonder if we expand how long will it last before vandals damage it.

“We want to keep the kids in the community safe and not open the doors for more vandalism.”

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers have not made any arrests yet, and investigations into the incidents were ongoing.

A Merri-bek City Council spokeswoman said the council does not condone vandalism.

“We are extremely disappointed about the incident of criminal behaviour at Charles Mutton Reserve in Fawkner. We are replacing outdoor furniture and a bin for the Fawkner Netball Club,” she said.

“We encourage everyone to report incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour to the police for investigation.”

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, has information or dashcam/CCTV footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au