Senseless vandalism gutting for deerstalkers

Members of the South Canterbury Deerstalkers Association are ‘‘absolutely gutted’’ their building has been vandalised, putting a dampener on a planned relocation.

Vandals have smashed the windows of the Patiti Point clubrooms, up on blocks to be moved to a new site due to erosion, and set fire to a nearby macrocarpa tree.

The estimated $1000 worth of vandalism, which is believed to have occurred on Wednesday evening, comes at a cost to the association. It has already paid $4500 to move the building from its original site last August and the building is on temporary foundations before its move to South St, proposed for March.

Association spokesman Tim McCarthy said organisation members were hugely disappointed by the vandalism.

The association did not have a ‘‘barrel of money’’, so every little bit counted, he said.

‘‘It’s just absolutely gutting,’’ he said, describing the vandals as ‘‘having rocks in their head’’.

‘‘We’re lucky we’ve got insurance but for someone or some people to do this is really upsetting. It’s a nuisance and it means we have to spend money on top of what we had already planned.

‘‘It’s just stupidity, really. We’ve had to do a lot of work to ensure the building is ready for the move. It’s just senseless vandalism,’’ he said.

However, McCarthy said members would still press ahead with the moving of the building.

The finished project is estimated to cost about $100,000.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF Tim McCarthy is upset that the cost of the vandalism of the South Canterbury Deerstalkers Association building comes on top of a $100,000 relocation project because of the erosion at Patiti Point.