DOUBLE TROUBLE
Dugong statue stolen again in heist from yard
PORT Hinchinbrook’s dugong statue has become the victim of a heist for the second time.
The bronze statue is believed to have been stolen in the past week from a Port Hinchinbrook front yard.
The statue was originally stolen from its mounting at the entrance of the gated community at Cardwell on February 27 last year. It was found in bushland a few days later by a hiker and returned to a caretaker to be kept safe until it could be put back on its pedestal, but its discovery was not made public.
Innisfail Senior Constable Scott Hayes said the theft would have been difficult to pull off with the statue weighing about 700kg.
“Realistically, you would be looking at some sort of crane to put it on the back of a truck or something,” he said.
“It’s pretty unusual ... it’s not something you could pull out in the pool room and no one would notice. Wherever it is, it will stand out if it’s not covered and you would have to be an idiot to take it home.”
Mystery surrounds the dugong’s first disappearance after no public announcement of it being found was ever made.
It wasn’t until Townsville Bulletin reporter John Andersen stumbled upon the bulky statue that its whereabouts were made known.
Sen- Constable Hayes said the thief's motivation was unknown but police were hoping information from the public could lead them to the bronze marine creature.
“Last time it was stolen, when it eventually turned up it had cut marks in it like someone had tried to break it down into smaller pieces,” he said.
“Being bronze, there could be a market for it.”
Port Hinchinbrook fell into financial ruin after it was extensively damaged in Cyclone Yasi.
The then owner, Williams Corporation Pty Ltd, abandoned repairs and maintenance in August last year and it was placed in the hands of liquidators.
In February it was sold to a Gold Coast consortium which reportedly planned to restore the community and resort to its former glory.
Anyone with information on the missing statue should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.