Waitomo District Council is dedicated to ensuring our community enjoys well-maintained parks and reserves. However, we are facing a concerning problem with individuals engaging in illegal acts of hooning, which negatively affects our community and places an unnecessary financial burden on our valued ratepayers.

The latest spate of vandalism was the destruction of the lawn near the cenotaph and rose garden in Te Kūiti.

General Manager Infrastructure Services, Shyamal Ram says Council's  parks and reserves team works tirelessly to create safe, welcoming, and functional public spaces for all residents and visitors.

"We recognise the immense cultural and historical significance of the war memorial grounds to our community and unfortunately, these senseless acts of vandalism not only scars the appearance of our parks and reserves, it also results in unnecessary costs that impact the our valued ratepayers. 

"It is also important to remember that the actions of a few do not represent the values or behaviour of the wider community and we urge the community to remain vigilant and adopt a "see something, say something" approach by reporting any suspicious activities directly to NZ Police.

"This may be instrumental in resolving these issues quickly and reducing further instances of offending, together, we can maintain the beauty and safety of our parks and reserves for everyone to enjoy.

"We are committed to addressing these issues promptly, and we appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the problem as soon as possible."