The new sports fields under construction at Samantha Riley Drive Reserve have been the target of a senseless act of vandalism.
During the early hours of Saturday morning (May 13), police alleged an 18-year-old driver had entered the fenced North Kellyville construction site and then proceeded to drive on the new turf that had been laid in recent weeks. Police also believe there was more than one vehicle involved.
“Many hours of hard work is now undone and tens of thousands of dollars are down the drain,” the Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Peter Gangemi said.
“About 44,000 sqm of new turf was laid along with irrigation in the weeks leading up to this incident and now we could be put in a position where we must dig everything back up.
“This is extremely disappointing, especially when our sporting complexes are already under pressure from population growth.”
Mayor Gangemi said that vandalism comes at a cost to the community.
“Vandalism is a huge community concern, especially when it removes much-needed financial assistance from other services and infrastructure,” he said.
“It’s also not the cost we are worried about; this pointless action could delay opening this much-needed sporting complex in North Kellyville.
“We lay the turf just before winter so it has time to establish its roots, grow and become strong before the summer sporting season. This blatant act will now cost us time and money, as we will need to assess the damage and then work out the next steps to salvage the fields.”
Council is also urging anyone with information to contact Castle Hill Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au
“Many people have CCTV footage on their homes. If you have recorded anything that could help with this investigation, I urge you to hand it over to the police,” Mayor Gangemi added.
Above: Damage to Samantha Riley Drive Reserve.
Above: Damage to Samantha Riley Drive Reserve.
