Theft of estuary group’s tools ‘foul crime’

The Waikanae Estuary Care Group is asking the community to keep an eye out for tools stolen from their nursery.

Some time between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning last week, the nursery in Hana Udy Place was broken into with over $3000 of equipment stolen from the community group.

“Our members are outraged and at a loss to try and explain why a volunteer organisation such as ours should be the target of such a foul and brazen crime,” WECG committee member John Whitelaw said.

“We of course contacted the police but in the absence of any obvious evidence and a lack of witnesses there is little they can do.

“Our committee has been in touch with businesses such as Cash Converters, and similar, to see if they have been offered our equipment, but to date without success.”

Items stolen include two Stihl power tool harnesses, Stihl FS 110 brush cutter, Stihl FS 250 brush cutter, hole auger, Stihl chainsaw, and spare brush cutter blades.

With about 75 members and limited funding, the loss of equipment has had a big impact.

“As you can imagine for a volunteer organisation like ours that has limited funding . . . this has an enormous impact on our ability to operate and continue with our restoration work within the Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve.”

Recent work includes launching their adopt-a-plot programme, which 25 people have taken up, looking after 20 small areas of the reserve, and commemorating reserve founder Sir Charles Fleming and his wife with an information sign at the Waikanae Dunes.

If you have seen the power tools or equipment being sold online, please contact the police and if you would like to support the group contact John at john@waikanaeestuary. org or group secretary Pam Stapleton at pam@waikanaeestuary. org.