Poles stolen before concrete set
Thieves steal fence within hours of it being put up
Thieves stole a fence at the Horowhenua AP&I Showgrounds before the concrete at the base of the poles had a chance to set. The new fence on Tiro Tiro Rd was replacing an old one that was completely demolished by a tornado in May, and Horowhenua AP&I Association (HAPI) had only just received the insurance for replacement.
The poles were stolen last week, on Thursday night.
HAPI secretary Jill Timms said there were a large number of security cameras set up at various locations around the grounds and she was to review footage to see if it would be of interest to police.
“I’m really hoping they pick something up,” she said.
Fencing contractor Brian Jones, from Topline Fencing, said the 3.25m poles would have been pulled out some time during the night before the concrete had a chance to set.
The thieves left three poles behind, the first three that the Topline crew had laid.
“They haven’t just stolen the poles, they’ve stolen our time,” he said, with the loss estimated at $4800.
“When a job is by the roadside it’s always in the back of your mind, but what are you supposed to do, sit there all night?”
It’s not the first time fences or gear had been stolen. On other occasions vandals had pushed poles over before
the concrete had set.
“Nothing shocks me any more,” he said.
As scrap metal, the poles wouldn’t be worth much, weighing an estimated 120kg.
It was the latest in a long list of incidents of vandalism and theft targeting the multi-purpose facility used by a wide variety of community groups, and run by volunteers.
In 2019 a fire destroyed a stable block at the grounds, while other fires had been lit at the grandstand. Vandalism was an ongoing problem and expense, while hooning cars had caused damage to the fields.
Timms said the association was looking forward to new netted fencing
as it would make the showgrounds visible, replacing the old corrugated iron fence that shielded the ground from view.
The entire fence would be replaced, in stages, as finances allowed.
Just some of the community groups and clubs to regularly use the showgrounds were dog obedience clubs, gymnastics, taekwondo, ju jitsu, church groups, basketball, indoor netball, Centre Skate, and after school and holiday children’s groups.
The association was losing revenue without a fence. Groups like the equestrian club had also lost the ability to host competitions while waiting for the new fence.
It was also the venue for iconic
gated events like the annual Hot Rod Show, Medieval Market and Balloon Festival.
Timms said the community would lose something special if they were to gate the facility as people many walked their dogs and used the grounds for recreational and leisure.
The committee was considering erecting bollards at different locations to prevent people driving around at will.