Stolen swing-seat replacement on its way

A parent-child swing stolen from Kaitaia’s Centennial Park playground last November will be replaced by the Council this week.

The thieves responsible for stealing the swing have not yet been found, however, the Council’s General Manager of Infrastructure & Asset Management, Andy Finch, says his team is exploring the option of installing more CCTV cameras throughout Centennial Park to deter criminal activity.

“We are also looking at other simple measures we can take to protect our playground equipment,” he says.

The stolen parent-child swing was the only one of its kind in the Far North and has cost the Council over $3000 to replace. It was originally installed in March last year as part of the redevelopment of Centennial Park playground.

The large swing with metal frame allows an adult to swing safely in tandem with a toddler, and was cut from its support by thieves in December last year. Heavy-gauge chain that connected the swing seat to its support was most likely cut with bolt cutters.

Anyone with information about the stolen swing can contact the Council on 0800 920 029, or Kaitaia Police on 09 408 6500.