Theft of tools from community garden

A place dedicated to helping the Taupo community become better gardners has been struck a low blow with the theft of its tools.

Taupo’s Community Gardens held a working bee last weekend. They splashed out for the occasion and bought a brand new weed eater but it didn’t even last the weekend.

Community Garden chairwoman Anja Schaar returned to the Richmond Heights’ garden on Sunday to find one of the group’s garden sheds had been broken into.

The weed eater and one of two lawn mowers were stolen. ‘‘It’s guttering,’’ Schaar said. ‘‘It’s devastating. We are really gutted.’’

The garden shed, which is situated on the far side of the garden, had the lock cut off it to gain entry.

Schaar said it was the second time the Community Garden had been burgled but the first time was quite a few years ago.

The theft of the newly purchased weedeater and the lawn mower had set the garden back not just because it made it hard to get work done but also financially.

‘‘It’ll cost around $700 to replace it and we just don’t have that money,’’ Schaar said.

‘‘And they left us with the worst of the two lawn mowers.’’

Senior Sergeant Phillip Edwards said the volunteers at the garden did everything they could to prevent a theft, short of patrolling the gardens.

‘‘They shouldn’t have to do that,’’ he said.

Edwards added the Police have had forensics into the gardens but chances of finding something are slim.

The Taupo Community Gardens opened in 2009 and since then they have established a learning facility implementing permaculture and organic practices. The group has built a composting system, an orchard of about 20 fruit frees and had donated surplus fruit and vegetables to the Taupo Food Bank and Hospice.

They also hold events, open days and other working bees along with informative days to help community members learn about gardening and growing thier own produce and fruit.

Schaar said the vision for the garden was to make it a place for the Taupo community to come together and share knowledge. The theft of their equipment had been a massive blow for the group.