Left: Electrician Michael Curry from KMO Electrics, along with other builders and workers at the Lynbrook factory, has spent the last week cleaning up damage.
By Sarah Schwager
RAMPAGING vandals are turning away business in Cranbourne.
Builders are fearful about building in the area after a series of thefts and destruction at building sites around Cranbourne and Lynbrook.
The Lynbrook Industrial Estate around Commercial Drive has been the worst hit with three nights of mass criminal damage in the last two months.
Last week, vandals caused $40,000 damage after they smashed 80 windows on a factory under construction and destroyed machinery.
Builder Tony Costa, from TCC Vic Commercial Buildings, said he had never worked in such a bad area.
“They’ve caused so much damage it’s ridiculous and this is not the first time it’s happened, either,” Mr Costa said.
He said he was concerned about his other buildings in the area and would think twice before taking on any more projects around Lynbrook.
“They must have made so much noise as well,” Mr Costa said.
“What I don’t understand is how no one heard anything.”
The latest vandalism happened between 4.30pm last Tuesday, 11 July and 6.30am on Wednesday, 12 July.
Detective Senior Constable Ollie Gaspari from Cranbourne CIU said vandals broke into an excavator, smashed the windows and stole the emergency safety hammer, which they then used to smash the wall-to-wall ground-level windows.
“Every window on that office block was smashed,” Det Sen Const Gaspari said.
The vandals also got into some of the machinery, including a motorised boom lift and scissor lift, pushed them into an electricity pole and dug them into the ground, destroying them beyond repair.
On 26 June, three factories in the Lynbrook Industrial Estate were broken into and ransacked overnight, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
The offenders took control of heavy machinery, which they rammed into cars, buildings, other machinery and boom gates.
Police said they took three boom lift machines from Lepat Development valued at $150,000 each, which they used to trash other property.
Tearooms were also broken into and trashed.
Mr Costa said he also received an early present from the Easter Bunny when police called at 1.30am on Easter Sunday in April to say vandals had trashed machinery, causing $15,000 damage.
Casey mayor Kevin Bradford said he was disappointed that vandalism was occurring around Cranbourne on such a frequent basis.
Police have been overwhelmed with reports of vandalism and thefts from building sites and properties under construction in the area.
“Apart from causing unnecessary costs on the construction companies and in turn the businesses, they are also stopping or at least delaying employment opportunities in the area, and that’s the greatest concern,” Cr Bradford said.
He said he would raise the issue with Council’s local laws officers to look at setting up a Neighbourhood Watch program similar to one run in Hallam’s industrial estate.
He also encouraged residents to ring 000 if they saw or heard anything suspicious.
Any witnesses can contact Detective Senior Constable Ollie Gaspari at Cranbourne CIU on 5995 4577 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
