Rotorua: Fordlands youth programme stops due to safety issues at Huia Lyons Reserve

A community youth group has been forced to stop its activities after burnt-out stolen cars, smashed glass and ripped-out lawns made it too dangerous to use a public park.

Those confronted with the “absolute destruction” say they believe meth, poverty and neglect are largely to blame for the weekly stolen car dumpings and vandalism at Fordlands’ Huia Lyons Reserve in Rotorua.

On Monday, the Fordlands Community Centre announced on social media that it would be halting its youth programme, Tū Totara, until further notice because it was no longer safe for children, a staff member said.

It comes after a stolen car in the reserve — one of four dumped there on Monday — exploded after being set on fire in broad daylight.

The programme has been held on a Monday from about 4pm to 6pm for the past two-and-a-half years and includes activities for children, from a range of sports to art programmes, finished off with a dinner. Typically, between 50 and 100 children attend.

Centre staff members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, said they were “exhausted” by the constant issues at the reserve.

On Monday, they went out to the park to hide Easter eggs for an Easter egg hunt for the children later that day but were confronted by the “absolute destruction,” one staff member said.

Cars ripping up a Fordland's reserve. Photo / Supplied

“The whole field had been ripped up,” the staff member said, referring to tyre marks everywhere.

Later that day, a car was set on fire about 2.30pm and there was “a big explosion” while three other cars were already abandoned in the park.

This was the third time a car was set alight on the lawn during the day.

Pieces of the damaged vehicles were strewn across the grass and some of the lawn by the basketball court was set alight.

The staff member said that over the past year, stolen cars and motorbikes had made a “mess” of the park.

There was also always smashed glass embedded into the grass and “disgusting” rubbish was spread throughout, the staff member said.

“It feels unsafe to do anything in the park.”

Burnt out car alongside grass damage at Huia Lyons Reserve in Fordlands. Photo / Andrew Warner

The staff member said the centre had invested thousands of dollars into young people and it strived to provide positive activities, pathways, programmes, and education grants, as well as buying children uniforms and chromebooks to try to keep them in school.

“We’re at the point like, what the hell do we do?”

The staff member said they believed that generations of substance abuse, neglect, and poverty were coming to a head in people acting out of control, stealing vehicles and destroying property.

“I’ve been a youth worker for 18 years and I’ve just never seen anything like it ... it’s never been this bad.”

The other staff member said it was “getting really dangerous” and the antisocial behaviour had worsened in the last six months.

“We’re getting quite discouraged.”

The other staff member said people expected the centre to sort out the issues but said staff were not able to do anything when it came to crime.

It was becoming a health and safety issue for their team and there had been instances where the centre was forced to shut for a few days, they said.

Rubbish at the Huia Lyons Reserve in Fordlands. Photo / Andrew Warner

“We’re always in a state of ‘are we going to be safe?’”

Louis Walker has lived in Fordlands for 15 years and has stopped taking his children to Huia Lyons Reserve.

The safety issues for him were around the weekly dumping of stolen cars, reckless driving day and night, dirtbike riders, and broken glass everywhere from stolen car windows being smashed, he said.

He said it had been going on for a while and was “just getting worse”.

A few months ago, three cars were playing “bumper cars” at night in the reserve, the goalpost that had been standing for years was smashed down by stolen cars, and there was a new, dumped stolen car or damage to the reserve weekly, he said.

His car had been stolen twice and found at the park which he said was “very costly”.

“It used to be a good park to take kids to play ... not any more.”

This was “sad” for the local kids and families, he said.

Walker’s partner grew up in the area and played at the park as a child.

He said she was “upset and sad” to see the state of the park now as she held many childhood memories there.

“To see how it all changed in an unsafe environment for kids breaks her heart.”

He said Rotorua Lakes Council did its best to clean up the mess.

Cancelling the youth programme was a good call in terms of safety, he said.

Cars ripping up a Fordland's reserve. Photo / Supplied

Council community wellbeing deputy chief executive Anaru Pewhairangi said it was “disappointing that the actions of some are having a negative impact on the community’s enjoyment of the reserve and on local youth programmes.

“Council undertakes ongoing checks and maintenance to the playground and reserve to help ensure it is a safe space for the community and we are responsive to any issues brought to our attention.”

He said rocks had been laid across a boundary between Wrigley Rd Reserve and a vacant section to prevent vehicles from accessing it.

“This has helped but it appears those responsible for dumping the vehicles have found another way in.”

Pewhairangi said three abandoned vehicles were found in Fordlands on Tuesday - one in Pullar Park and two in Wrigley Rd Reserve.

When a staff member investigated, children were found smashing the vehicles and spreading glass across the reserve, Pewhairangi said. The area was taped off and a tow truck was organised. The debris had been cleaned up.

A vehicle was found dumped at Wrigley Rd Reserve yesterday and it will also be removed.

A police spokeswoman attended two reports of burnt-out cars in the Huia Lyons Reserve in the past week, and inquiries were ongoing.