Sport Whanganui chief executive Danny Jonas and community sport manager Jodie Brunger are "gutted" vandals have destroyed part of the Community Bike Park. Photos/ Lewis Gardner
Sport Whanganui chief executive Danny Jonas and community sport manager Jodie Brunger are "gutted" vandals have destroyed part of the Community Bike Park. Photos/ Lewis Gardner
It took just a few "mindless vandals" to damage the Whanganui Community Bike Park, but Jodie Brunger takes comfort in the fact that many more people helped build it in the first place.
For her, that shows the good in the world outweighs the bad.
"We'll just put it backtogether, like we did when we created it," Sport Whanganui's community sport manager said.
Signs were smashed and posts ripped out of the ground at the learn-to-ride area of Whanganui's Community Bike Park on London St over Tuesday night.
The park had been under construction - and some parts in use - for more than two years and was officially opened last month.
Brunger said she was "just gutted" and that it had "wrecked what a whole lot of people had done".
"It'll be all of the good people who have contributed to this that are going to be gutted because they've put their time and effort into it," she said.
"(But) the fact that so many people contributed and made that happen shows there's more good in the world than bad."
The Community Bike park was built by hundreds of people and thousands of volunteer hours and dollars were donated.
"They've just trashed it," Brunger said.
"I think the thing that made me more upset is I really feel proud to live in Whanganui - I've gone and lived in other places and come back - and I felt proud over Vintage Weekend with the vibe in the city and a cool community spirit.
"(But this) is just mindless."
Some of the damaged signs and fence posts.
CCTV footage from the Splash Centre, which is next to the bike park, captured a group of young people, who appeared to be responsible, just after 9.30pm on Tuesday.
"We'll fix it and put it back together. We're not going to let them win. It's just sad to see that kids have wrecked a kids' space," Brunger said.
"You know, we're trying to push for more youth spaces in the city... and push for more spaces where kids can play and be active... and then this happens.
"We need to claim to claim these spaces back and not put up with it."
