Thieves steal swings from Whangārei playground

Robin Grieve, from the Mangakahia Sports and Community Complex, is at a loss to explain why thieves stole swings from a children’s playground which the local community and Poroti Marae helped fund.

“Who’d want to steal swings from kids and the community?”

It’s a question Robin Grieve doesn’t really expect to be answered, but he’s hoping community help will see swings stolen from the playground between Mangakahia Sports and Community Complex and Poroti (Maungarongo) Marae returned.

The swings were stolen some time last week, and Grieve said the theft was particularly galling as the playground was built with money raised by the complex and the marae, and was enjoyed by kids from around the district.

Now he’s hoping somebody sees the swings being used and reports them to the complex or the police.

“We want them back. It’s a disgusting thing to do. Who’d want to steal swings from kids and the community? It really stinks to think there are people out there who would do this.”

The swings at the playground between Mangakahia Sports and Community Complex and Poroti Marae, before they were stolen last week.

Grieve said the whole playground cost more than $60,000 to install, and it had been a fantastic facility for children to play on. The swings were very popular with the kids, particularly the large basket swing that could hold three or four children at a time.

It’s the time of year when it would be well-used by the local kids and visitors to the area, but their enjoyment will be curtailed by the theft of the three swings.

“It’s been fundraised for by the community, and people are pretty angry and upset that somebody has done this. It’s taken some effort to do it, and obviously wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. They’ve needed heavy tools to remove them.

“They were stolen from children, and I just can’t fathom how somebody could have so little empathy to do that. The community here put in a lot of effort to raise the money for the playground, along with the marae, and it’s just really so disheartening to have this happen. It’s such an important asset for the community out here.

“We were all so enthused to have the playground here, and this just takes the wind out of our sails a bit.”

But the theft wouldn’t deter the complex committee from continuing its efforts to make the community a better place for all, he said.

“It would be really good to get the swings back - then we won’t have to raise funds to get more.”