Vandals have damaged the shade sail at the Cannons Creek Community Centre for the second time in months, leaving a repair bill worth thousands of dollars.Alison Noonan
FINDING a shady space at the Cannons Creek Community Centre is proving a whole lot of trouble this summer.
The shade sail at the popular facility has again been the target of bored kids over the Christmas holiday break, leaving Casey Council with a repair bill of more than $2500.
Resident Bill D’Oliviera said the council was first forced to replace the sail in the middle of last year after vandals burnt large holes in the sail, tore it and climbed over it.
He said the sail would have to be replaced a second time at a cost of up to $2000.
“These kids have tried to completely destroy the shade sail over the past few months,” Mr D’Oliviera said.
“The first time it happened council sent it away to be repaired and now it has been severely attacked again.”
Mr D’Oliviera said he had witnessed young children mounting and bouncing on the sail, balancing perilously high above a pile of bricks.
“I’ve warned them that if they fall through the cloth they could do serious damage to themselves and even end up in a wheelchair,” he said.
“But they don’t seem to listen.
“The shade sail is there for whole community to use and these kids are ruining it for everyone.
“I don’t think there is any point repairing the sail because it will just happen again. It is not worth it.”
Casey manager works and operations Alex Michelli said it was disappointing to see locals damaging expensive equipment which council had installed for the benefit of the local community.
“It is unfortunate locals are damaging local property,” he said.
“These vandals have cut the sail, sliced it with knives, burnt holes and basically just used it as a trampoline.
“That’s not what the sail is designed for and there is the danger that someone could seriously injure themselves.”
