Vandals have gone on a rampage across Eden in the past week, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to public toilets, as well as ripping down signs and lighting fires.
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Bega Valley Shire Council advised the public last Thursday that a spate of attacks had forced the closure of a number of the town’s public toilets until repairs could be carried out.
The Eden Wave toilets near the cemetery and Eden Cricket Ground toilets were vandalised, with pipes broken, and the cisterns, urinals and fittings damaged.
The Eden Scout Hall toilets were also damaged.
The vandalism continued over the weekend and into this week, with more toilets damaged, street signs ripped out and fires lit on the Lake Curalo Boardwalk.
“This sort of vandalism is disappointing and takes council staff and resources away from more positive work for our community,” a council spokesperson said.
“Generally speaking, we live in a community that values and respects these assets.”
Council said the repair bill would be “quite a substantial amount”.
On Saturday, toilets in Chandos St, Memorial Park and at the Eden Visitor Information Centre were vandalised, with copper pipe fitting unscrewed, hand basin pipes snapped off and cisterns damaged, causing water to flood the facilities.
The next night, three street signs and poles were ripped out of the ground in Cocks Lane, Lake St and at the information centre.
And on Monday, the Chandos St and Memorial Park toilets – which had only just been repaired and cleaned after the previous attacks – were vandalised again.
All the damage to the public toilets has now been repaired and the facilities have reopened.
Chief Inspector Tony Moodie called on the Eden community to come forward with any information in relation to the malicious damage. Call Eden Police on 6496 1444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
