Wally Norman and Andrew Holman contacted the Champion Post in pure frustration at the lack of respect shown to the new amenities.

Wally said the park is used by a lot of people, especially families.

“Most people are fine, it’s the one percent that just can’t help themselves,” he said.

Newly planted trees have been snapped in two or stripped of their branches, garbage bins smashed and a water bubbler broken.

Rubbish is routinely strewn across the area.

“Someone jammed a stick in the bubbler the other day so it would keep going, so it wouldn’t stop,” Andrew said. 

“Now it’s broken and can’t be used.”

As vice president of the Parkes Sports Council, Wally said it has taken years to secure grants to upgrade the area. 

“Council have secured grant funding to have the basketball court resurfaced and have new backboards and new posts installed, as well as new seating,” he said.

“This is the only basketball court in Parkes the public can use. It’s so disappointing to see the efforts of the Sports Council and Parkes Council to supply this for the community just for the odd one or two who feels the need to come here and wreck the place. 

“It happens after school and on weekends, other people must see them do it. They need to realise it’s the community’s money paying for these trees and this little complex for the public to use.” 

Andrew said as a ratepayer he finds the destruction unacceptable.

“It burns me that our rates are used to do this for the benefit of everyone and you’ve got that small minority who trash it all,” he said.

“You can sort of tell who they are, some of the foul language coming out of the young kids is unbelievable.”

Lachlan Local Area Command Chief Inspector David Cooper said police encourage anyone who witnesses these incidents to contact Parkes Police immediately. 

“It’s no good reporting it hours or days later,” he said. 

“If you see it happening, call us and we will head straight there. Now we have been alerted to the problem, Police will include the area in our daily general duties.”