Bill D’Oliveira points out where one of the painted surfboards was ripped out on the Cannons Creek jetty.
By Sarah Schwager
POLICE are concerned that Cannons Creek is seriously under threat if vandals continue to tempt fate around the town.
A series of arson attempts on the community hall and general store has left residents fearing for the safety of their small village.
Neighbourhood Watch area coordinator Bill D’Oliveira said the most recent attacks happened at the weekend, with burnt newspapers found alongside the general store on Saturday night.
A table outside the store was also broken.
Mr D’Oliveira said he was concerned that the vandals were local kids who did not realise the consequences of what they were doing.
On 1 September the News reported that burnt newspaper had been found shoved under the door of the town’s community hall.
Mr D’Oliveira said as the hall was located next to the Bonnie Watson Bushland Reserve, the consequences of a fire could be extreme.
“If the hall does go up in flames it would be an absolute catastrophe,” he said. “The reserve would go next and then the houses would go up.”
Detective Senior Constable Michael Van Hammond from Cranbourne CIU said that last week vandals ripped out wiring from the external lighting on the community hall and then attempted to set fire to the hall by lighting newspapers.
“Vandalism and attempted arson is a concern at any time,” Det Sen Const Van Hammond said.
“But this needs to stop before anything more serious occurs.”
He said Cannons Creek was a small community and someone must have seen something.
On Friday night one of the town’s three symbolic surfboards, which have paintings of animals on one side and information on the Aboriginal history of the area on the other, was ripped out from the jetty viewing platform.
Mr D’Oliveira found it floating in the shallow wetlands the next morning.
“We are at our wits’ end. The residents want to get together for a special meeting to stop this once and for all,” he said.
Mr D’Oliveira said, after the attack on the community hall last month, Neighbourhood Watch had organised for the scrub in front of the hall to be cut down so that it would be more visible from the road.
But he said that still did not seem to have worked.
Anyone who has seen suspicious activity anywhere around the town is urged to contact the Cranbourne CIU on 5991 0600 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
