Ararat Rural City Council is highlighting a recent spike in vandalism across the municipality, warning that senseless damage is diverting ratepayer funds away from roads and essential services.
In recent weeks, Council has recorded a series of incidents targeting public assets, including damage to the Green Hill Lake toilets and the Travellers Rest pump, as well as damage to a Council grader. A Council ranger ute that was stolen has also been recovered burnt out in a dam, leaving ratepayers to foot the bill for replacement and clean-up costs.
Council CEO, Dr Tim Harrison, said the community should not be expected to wear the cost of deliberate damage caused by a small number of people.
"Every time someone smashes a toilet block, wrecks a pump, or torches a Council vehicle, they are taking money directly out of the pockets of local residents," Dr Harrison said. "That is funding that should be going into fixing roads, maintaining parks, improving footpaths, and supporting services that actually add to our municipality, not cleaning up after reckless behaviour. The Green Hill Lake vandalism is especially frustrating, as marvellous volunteers and community donors take the brunt."
Dr Harrison said Council would continue to work with Victoria Police to respond to vandalism and theft and encouraged anyone with information about recent incidents to come forward.
"If you know something and stay silent, you are effectively signing off on higher costs for your neighbours," Dr Harrison said. "We need people to take pride in where they live, to look out for public assets as if they were their own, and to report behaviour that damages our shared spaces."
Residents who witness vandalism or suspicious activity are encouraged to report it to Victoria Police, and to contact Council to log any damage to Council-owned assets so repairs can be prioritised.
