Vandals target houseboats again

For the second weekend in a row large rocks have been used to smash the windows and doors of two houseboats moored in the Deniliquin CBD.

Edward River Houseboat owners Neil Goudie and Yvonne Lloyd said they are now questioning whether they should keep the business.

The couple said the glass had only been repaired a few days before the second attack, and just before one of the boats was to be hired out for the first time since the Coronavirus pandemic hit.

‘‘We had the glazier there the previous Sunday for a boat to go out Monday this week,’’ Mr Goudie said

‘‘But we turned up on Saturday morning to more broken glass, including the new ones that had just been put in.

‘‘The glazier came around again on Sunday and saved us so we could still get the boat out on Monday.’’

Ms Lloyd said had they not been able to get the windows fixed again so quickly, they would have lost the income they expected to get from this week’s hire.

‘‘It is the first hire of the year, so we don’t need this happening,’’ she said.

The couple said they will now investigate installing security cameras, but say they shouldn’t need to.

‘‘There will now be video surveillance, but if you know anything about the damage please let us know,’’ Mr Goudie said.

‘‘They have no respect,” Ms Lloyd added, referring to the culprits.

‘‘We love the river and we love Deniliquin, but we can’t do any more of this. It is two weekends in a row now.

‘‘We might just have to get rid of the boats, because that might be the only option. We are just upset this has happened again.’’