Windows smashed, rippa rugby fields unplayable and threats that are frightening the elderly:
“Since Covid, the whole town has turned to shit,” resident Chris Griffin said.
He has had windows smashed twice on the renno he’s been working on in Hill St, Te Kūiti.
The 100-year-old house has been re-piled, reclad, re-roofed, a room added, and internal walls rearranged.
The modern double-glazed windows in aluminium joinery have had large rocks thrown through them, twice in three months.
On or about March 2, the windows fronting Hill St were smashed, one of them by a piece of concrete from the driveway that would have required two hands to lift.
Another house round the corner had windows smashed the same night.
Last weekend, the double doors on the side of the house were smashed, with one of the rocks used to also damage the aluminium frame.
Repairing the damage will cost more than $10,000, Chris said.
“They must have made a bit of noise,” he said.
He was told about the new damage by a neighbour who passed by. The damage comes between community meetings to address the issues in town.
Community meeting planned for Te Kūiti
Another community meeting has been planned for the Te Kūiti community to discuss its fears and concerns about the town.
It will be held at the Les Munro Centre on Tuesday at 5.30pm.
Organiser Grace Everitt said the community had given up contacting police because their calls went unanswered.
She said the meeting would allow the community to discuss all their concerns, including about crime, vandalism, burnouts and the state of Te Kūiti’s main street.
A similar meeting was held last month at Te Kūiti Netball Centre, which drew a crowd of about 200 people.
Among those in attendance were representatives from NZ Police, Waitomo District Council and youth-focused organisations.
The meeting was focused on finding solutions to the issues facing the community.
