THIEVES have stooped to a new low, having deliberately broken in and stolen nine chainsaws from the volunteer, not for profit Mirboo North group, Friends of Lyrebird Forest Walk.
Friends of Lyrebird Forest Walk (FOLFW), otherwise known as the Wednesday Warriors, keep this track and the Grand Ridge Rail Trail between Mirboo North and Boolarra clear of debris for the community to use unimpeded.
Volunteers of the group were shocked this morning to find their shed in Inglis Avenue, Mirboo North had been broken into between 11 am yesterday and 7am this morning and chainsaws stolen.
“They’d broken into our workshop by climbing on an adjoining shed roof, smashing a window and gaining entry into the upstairs office, they’ve gone downstairs and then jimmied the doors to our machinery shed within the workshop and stolen about eight or nine chainsaws,” said Jim O’Brien, President of FOLFW.
“They’ve gone in there intentionally to take the chainsaws and they’ve gone back upstairs, passed them out through the window. So, there’s obviously more than one.”
“Unfortunately, we're not insured for theft, so it’s going to be a straight-out loss and also a major loss to the community because they’ve taken from us the very tools that we use a couple of times a week for clearing fallen timber and providing firewood to people in need. We get told through the churches who might need wood and deliver that free of charge. So basically, it’s affecting the community, so they’re a bunch of bloody low life’s as far as I’m concerned.”
Jim estimates the replacement cost of each chainsaw at almost $2000 each, potentially costing the volunteer organisation up to $18,000.
“We’ve now got to try and find some way of raising money or getting money to buy new equipment to be able to do our job,” said Jim.
A tree came down overnight across the trail and volunteers were trying to clear it this morning so people can still continue to use the track– however only had hand and pruning saws left to do the job.
With Jim being the youngest member at 70 years old, this is no easy task for the volunteers.
The chainsaws that were stolen are of three different makes, Echo, Echo CS-600, Husqvarna and Stihl.
All are engraved with WW (for Wednesday Warriors) and one which was donated to the group from the Rotary Club of Mirboo North is engraved with Mirboo North Rotary.
Each chainsaw is identifiable, and the Wednesday Warriors ask anyone with information to come forward or get in touch with the Mirboo North police on 5668 1444 or report anonymously to crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.