Hayman Park Playground, a valued local space, has cost over $163,000 in upkeep since opening last July, including $22,000 for cleaning graffiti. Photo: LDR / Mary Afemata
Cleaning up graffiti at a recently-opened south Auckland playground has cost ratepayers more than $20,000.
Repeated incidents of vandalism have caused significant damage to playgrounds in the south Auckland area, including Hayman Park I Manukau Iho Noa playground.
Since the multi-million dollar playground opened in July last year, the council confirmed it has spent $22,000 removing graffiti.
Last financial year, the bill for the upkeep of the newly-established Hayman Park playground came to $141,830.
Officials have said this funding, allocated through the council's repairs and maintenance budget, highlights the council's commitment to providing safe and enjoyable outdoor spaces.
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said the repair bill was both costly and unnecessary.
"This is both damaging, senseless, and disgraceful - I mean how low can you go destroying a place that children and families value and use on a regular basis.
"I hope the perpetrators find a more productive way to express themselves and leave our playgrounds and public spaces alone."
Fifteen other playgrounds across have also been damaged, including Waenganui/Allenby Park in Papatoetoe, Otamariki Park in Ōtara, Sikkim Park in Clover Park, and East Tāmaki Reserve.
Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia said the board had appealed to the community to better care for these outdoor spaces and facilities.
The cost of cleaning up or repairing playgrounds could be used elsewhere, he said.
He urged the public to report suspicious activities and actively participate in maintaining these spaces and facilities.
"We'd love to ensure these facilities are here for our community, but there's also a cost if people don't look after it."
The damage is an ongoing problem citywide, Apulu said.
"There's damage across all facilities, across the whole city, but I'm talking about our local board in particular," he said.
"We're trying to instill in our people a sense of pride and responsibility for our spaces. And if we want to enjoy these spaces, let's come together and call out those people who might be doing that sort of stuff."
Although people shouldn't put themselves in danger. Instead they should report issues to council, he said.
When discussing maintenance at Hayman Park, Apulu said the wear and tear part is a good problem.
"That shows that our people love it when we provide good facilities.
"That's a problem that we don't mind shouldering. There might be questions about better planning in the future - that they should have realised they needed more durable materials and things like that."
Hayman Park is one of many parks that have recently been upgraded, Apulu said.
Head of Area Operations at Auckland Council Eli Nathan said most costs were attributed to scheduled maintenance work.
It also included minor repairs costing less than $1000, such as replacing damaged ropes, meshing, and equipment parts.
"There were 52 response jobs raised last year of this nature, which were completed at no additional cost to our standard contract for maintaining the park.
"In addition, $3375 has been required for more significant equipment repairs. This costing does not include graffiti, as this is removed on a separate contract," Nathan said.
Hayman Park playground has recently reopened after undergoing maintenance earlier this month.
"It is always disappointing when enhanced community attractions like this are not looked after with pride, especially when significant investment has gone into creating them," Nathan said.
"However, we continue to ensure this popular playground remains a safe, enjoyable community attraction for children from all over Auckland to enjoy this site."
Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
