Senseless attack on us all

HOW can you describe what happened at Pioneers Park last weekend?
Like many angry residents who spoke to me at the park and on the phone, I am at a loss to know why someone would go into the park and smash trees in what was a stupid and wanton act of destruction.
The attack is more than an attack on the park.
This is an attack on a community.
This is someone with a sick mind hitting at the people who worked so hard and who contributed large amounts of money to have the park established. The Pioneers Park was a dream come true.
It was the community, council and government working together to build something beautiful and lasting for the people.
This was done for everyone and not for a select few.
The park is there for all people rich or poor and is already a treasured part of Berwick and district.
It is there for travellers, for shoppers coming from surrounding homes, for people who just like to wander around with friends, or as I have seen, lie in the sun, or rest at the fountain. So these vandals broke the fountain and destroyed 26 trees in such a way that most need to be replaced.
Some residents were dumfounded, some were visibly angry, and some expressed helplessness against these people who sneak around in the night to damage public property.
Perhaps the impact at the Pioneers Park has been greater on people because the trees were at a vulnerable time and easily damaged.
Damage amounts to about $10,000 and someone has to meet this cost because the damage has to be rectified.
The trees will be replaced because this community aims in the end to win out against the village idiots.
How would they feel if a bunch of people went to their homes and ripped out their garden plants or smashed the windows in their homes?
Of course that won’t happen because under our social system and our laws they will be almost immune from punishment and they will do it again and again.
Casey works and operations manager Alex Michelli said the behaviour was very disappointing and frustrating.
Some people have called on the council to provide more protection for the park, but this is almost impossible because it has 1600 parks to care for and all are subject to vandalism.
The question is why?