Vandals ‘risking their lives’

Press, 15 December 1983, Page 2

Vandals ‘risking their lives’

Vandals who get inside the Rangiora Borough Council’s Northbrook Road sewage-treatment plant are risking their lives, says the Town Clerk of Rangiora, Mr A. F. Rapley. Mr Rapley told the last Rangiora Borough Council meeting that a spate of vandalism in the borough last week-end was worrying the council staff. “Of particular concern is vandalism to the Imhoff tanks at the sewagetreatment plant. People have been getting inside the area and damaging tools and breaking windows,” he said. “If they fell into the ponds they would never get out again.” The area was surrounded by a 2.7 m (6ft) fence with three strands of barbed

wire along the top, said the borough overseer, Mr W. K. Lucas. “Council staff go down there only about once a week, and because the ponds are covered, might not even notice if someone had fallen in. If people fell in there is nothing to hold on to to pull themselves out and they would quickly suffocate because of the gases in the pond.” Vandals had also hit the Rangiora Town Hall with graffiti last week-end, the gates of the borough school, and some buildings in the Dudley Park area, said Mr Rapley. There had also been a recurring problem of vandalism at Elephant Park. A problem with damaged trees at Matawai Park seemed to have abated, he said.