Call for information to catch Manly Dam vandals

Early morning walkers in Manly Dam were greeted with an unnerving site at a popular picnic area last Friday morning. Vandals had destroyed the shelter and lit a large fire, leaving rubbish and debris strewn across the site.

Cost of the damage is estimated at $20,000 with Council calling on anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers online or on 1800 333 000 to help catch the perpetrators.

Pictures posted on a local Facebook page condemned the damage. It’s “crazy how little respect some people have,” the poster wrote. Others in the community were quick to voice their disappointment and anger. “OH NO! This is just awful!”, “just terrible our favourite spot”, “ so sad to see this” , were some of the many comments.

Council Rangers at Manly Dam moved quickly to make the site safe and then clean up the popular picnic area, which is heavily booked throughout spring and summer for parties and family gatherings. We are happy to report that the site has been cleaned and the tables are ready for picnickers this weekend. However, the shelter was beyond repair and needed to be removed and will be rebuilt in early 2021.

If you see vandalism of public areas, please report it to Council via our Online Customer Service portal or call 1300 434 434. If you see vandalism occurring, please ensure you do not place yourself in danger and call the Police.