Another Moorabool sporting club vandalised

Vandals destroyed clubroom doors, graffitied walls, damaged locker rooms and broke locks at a Bacchus Marsh sports reserve early last week.

The attack on several sports groups at Masons Lane Recreation Reserve left a damage bill of between $2000 and $3000.

It is the latest in a string of vandalism on Moorabool sporting and community clubs.

Moorabool mayor Allan Comrie said the council had “had enough”.

“There has been an increase in vandalism and graffiti, not just in the school holidays, but throughout this year at all our recreation reserves,” Cr Comrie said.

” … kids are trying to play baseball and now we’re having to spend all this time cleaning it up”

 
“Not only do acts such as this cost ratepayers money in repairs, but it threatens the use of the facilities for sporting and community groups.

“This behaviour is unacceptable.”

Vandals forced entry into the Bacchus Marsh Baseball Club’s scorers box, destroyed the shed doors and broke door locks.

Club president Darren Power said nothing had been stolen “but it looked like they were looking for something”.

“These acts are affecting the rest of the community; kids are trying to play baseball and now we’re having to spend all this time cleaning it up,” Mr Power said.

Dianne Lee said locks had been broken and clubroom doors graffitied at the Dog Obedience Club’s facilities.

“We had a lousy clubroom until the state government gave us a grant [matched] by council. Now we’ve got a really good clubroom – it’s [the vandalism] a real shame.”

The Bacchus Marsh Soccer Club’s rooms, at Masons Lane Reserve, were also broken into.

Sergeant Troy Morrow of Moorabool Crime Investigation Unit said police had noticed “a bit of a spike” in vandalism recently.

“It’s hard to say who’s involved … but you do get a lot more foot traffic [during the school holidays] around town, with more people out and about late at night,” Sergeant Morrow said.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.