A damaged National Party and Sam Uffindell hoarding on the corner of Maunganui Rd and Clyde St. Photo / Alex Cairns
A damaged National Party and Sam Uffindell hoarding on the corner of Maunganui Rd and Clyde St. Photo / Alex Cairns
Vandals have targeted several National and Labour Party election signs in Tauranga with some being “ripped from the wooden frames” and others defaced with graffiti.
It follows ten Te Pāti Māori signs being vandalised in Tauranga, the word “raciest” [sic] spray painted on some and the word “Māori”cut from others.
Bay of Plenty National candidate Tom Rutherford said between eight and 10 signs had been damaged in Mount Maunganui, Welcome Bay and Pāpāmoa.
He said the signs had been “ripped from the wooden frames.
“Other people have come to me directly which is fantastic and let me know about the damage and then myself and a team of my volunteers, we go out and repair them where we can. If the sign is really badly damaged, then we will replace it.”
A damaged National Party and Sam Uffindell hoarding on the corner of Maunganui Rd and Clyde St. Photo / Alex Cairns
Tauranga MP and National candidate Sam Uffindell said “about a dozen” of his signs had been damaged. In most instances, the frames were broken.
“And those frames are pretty sturdy too - you’d probably need a sledgehammer to do that.”
Uffindell said Maunganui Rd was the most “heavily hit”. Signs were also targeted on Totara St and in Bethlehem.
“It seems to be on the Saturday nights - people go out there and do a bit of damage to them.”
Uffindell said he and his team of volunteers checked the hoardings “on a regular basis.
“And when they are damaged, then we make sure we get out there and fix them up as soon as possible.”
A damaged Labour Party and Pare Taikato hoarding on Maranui St, Tauranga. Photo / Alex Cairns
Bay of Plenty Labour Party candidate Pare Taikato said her first hoardings erected on August 12 were damaged within 24 hours, with graffiti slogans in Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa.
Six sites with “large, double-sided hoardings” mainly in Pāpāmoa have been vandalised, including being defaced with graffiti and slogans, having wooden legs or frames “smashed down” and hoardings stolen from the frames.
“Because all my campaign team are volunteers, everyone has to manage work commitments and availability to get back out to [the] site ... so they are being fixed as soon as possible.”
