A suburban playground has been set ablaze by vandals, who continue to leave their mark on the Sunshine Coast.
The equipment at Burnside was torched late last month and captured on film by local Casey Harkness.
“At 4am, we awoke to the playground on fire, the bins on fire, the seating area on fire, very close to trees and homes,” she said.
“Thank you to Nambour Fire Brigade who were there within minutes to put out the flames. It could have been a lot worse.
“Over the last two weeks, our park has been set alight numerous times.”
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson confirmed the playground, bins and barbecues were damaged.
“We temporarily closed the park and made the site safe with some elements removed to ensure public safety,” they said.
“We are currently in the process of seeking funding to replace the damaged equipment.”
Council records show that there were more than 500 reports of vandalism or graffiti involving public amenities in council-designated parks, recreation areas or reserves during the 12-month period ending in August.
“Council takes damage to community property very seriously and reports incidences of vandalism to the Queensland Police Service,” the spokesperson said.
“These acts of vandalism come at a significant cost to ratepayers in repairs and replacement items.”
Council maintains 1180 recreation parks and open spaces, and manages more than 374 playgrounds with an estimated value of $30 million.
The spokesperson said council workers regularly fixed and replaced damaged property to ensure there were no risks to the public.
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“Community safety is one of Sunshine Coast Council’s highest priorities,” they said.
“We have a proactive program of cleaning and maintenance to ensure the serviceability of our parks and infrastructure every day.
“When notified of an issue, parks and gardens staff conduct an immediate on-site inspection to ensure the area of concern is safe for use.”
Locals were urged to help monitor council areas.
“Our community is encouraged to provide any information and report any anti-social behaviour to Queensland Police by calling 000 so they can respond accordingly,” the spokesperson said.
“If you have any information or would like to report damages to council-maintained property, please contact our customer service via email mail@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au or phone 5475 7272.
“We thank the public for any assistance in ensuring our region remains safe for everyone to enjoy.”
Recreation areas include play equipment, basketball courts, exercise equipment nodes in parks, dog exercise areas, skate parks, shelters, drinking fountains, barbecues, public amenities, showers, netball courts, pump tracks, table tennis tables, bocce courts, disc golf courses, a parkour station, aquatic facilities and an ocean pool at Kings Beach and 73km of beaches.
