Needless vandalism hurts ratepayers and visitors

It is disheartening that road and information signs were extensively damaged during the holiday period in North Canterbury’s high country.

A number of Hurunui District Council (HDC) road signs and Department of Conservation (DOC) information signs were damaged on Clarence Valley Road, Tophouse Road and Molesworth Road up to Acheron Accommodation House.

The situation was worsened by the fact that two of the damaged signs provide an early alert to road users that there is no access from the northern end of the Acheron Road in Molesworth Station out to Blenheim via Awatere Valley Rd, due to storm damage last July.

HDC’s Team Leader for Roading, Kait Murray, said those who inflict this damage to the signs are also inflicting damage on the pockets of Hurunui’s ratepayers.

“These Council-owned signs are not replaced or fixed for free. The funds come straight from our ratepayers,” she said, adding that some signs were defaced and some were knocked over with what appears to have been a vehicle.

“We have a list of projects in the work programme we would really like to spend the money on, and it’s a big shame it has to be wasted on mopping up the mess of thoughtless acts like this,” said Murray, adding that HDC is working with the police to identify the culprits.

DOC Senior Heritage and Visitors Ranger James Gilmour said the DOC signs provide valuable information for visitors to Molesworth.

“It’s frustrating that someone has deliberately damaged signs that are helpful to people when making a holiday trip into Molesworth.”

Some signs can be re-erected, but some signs will need to be replaced.

If anyone has any information, please let HDC or DOC know.

Hurunui District Council: 03 3148 816

Department of Conservation: 0800 DOCHOT/36 24 68.