Te Kohanga Reo o te Koutu forced to close for day after theft of pipes

Staff at a Rotorua kohanga reo say they have been taken advantage of after roughly 4m of copper water pipe was stolen from the side of the building, causing it to close for a day.

Te Kohanga Reo o Te Koutu was closed Monday as the water had to be turned off while the pipes were replaced.

Office manager Wendy Biddle said people at the neighbouring marae had noticed a small drip about a month ago but she suspected the rain last week had made it worse and that's when she noticed it.

"The drip turned into more of a gush over the last week.

"I had to ring all of the parents on Friday and say there was no kohanga on Monday."

Biddle said the theft of the pipes blatantly took advantage of the kohanga's open-door policy.

"We're open to the community, they come in when they need to and people have taken advantage of that," she said.

"We want people to be conscious - if you see people up to no good, say something."

Te Kohanga Reo o te Koutu teacher Ataria Ponga and office manager Wendy Biddle. Photo / Stephen Parker

She said while the closure of the centre had affected its 12 tamariki, it had also affected parents.

"We've got a lot of parents that work so it doesn't serve them to have to organise their babies," Biddle said.

"They have to take time off work themselves if they've not got an alternative."

She wanted the community to keep an eye on the building.

"A lot of whānau ensure the kohanga reo continues to live, run and breath.

"We're working hard to foster positive korero."

Plumber Leo Rika replaces the pipes. Photo / Stephen Parker

Kohanga pouako (teacher) Ataria Ponga said taking the copper pipes was taking from the tamariki.

"We are mad with what has happened, with what has been removed from our kohanga.

"It's dripped so much it could ruin our foundations, which can cause a lot of problems."

A police spokesman confirmed the theft of the pipe had been reported on November 4, though it's suspected the offence took place between October 1 and 25.

"The area is not fenced and it appears the offender simply cut the pipes and took them away."

Sue Franklin, who owns Franklin Scrap Metal, said copper was worth about $5 a kilo.

She said she had heard what had happened to the kohanga reo.

"They [the pipes] are not worth the hassle and carnage they cost ripping them out.

"It's pretty disgusting what the people have done."

Franklin said copper was traded in a couple of times a week and the scrap metal yard got pipes as well as water cylinders.

Plumber Leo Rika estimated the copper would have been worth about $120 new but only $15 in scrap metal.

The pipe's purpose was hot water cylinder overflow.