By Violet Li
A property in Pearcedale has been blown away by a serial theft of 57 steel fencing in a week.
It is believed unknown offenders first unbolted and took away 44 steel panels, which were about 200-metre-long at the address of 1915 Dandenong-Hastings Road between 20 and 21 July. All the posts remained on site. The steel panels at the property access were broken but remained on site.
According to the property owner, another 13 steel panels were stolen on the night of Friday 26 July by unknown offenders. At the moment, it was unclear if the same cohort committed the offence.
Police are investigating the incident.
The property is owned by the non-profit multilingual Hindu organisation Melbourne Ayyappa Seva Sangam (MASS), which is seeking a planning permit for a $4.5 million Hindu temple for the site.
Affected locals established an objection group called Peninsula Green Wedge Protection Group in February 2022 to oppose the proposed development and advocate the protection of Green Wedge land across Victoria. The group has more than 100 members from local and wider communities.
The planning dispute will be heard by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) from 2 September.
MASS secretary Vijay Senguttuvan said the first set of stolen fences was worth $50,000.
“We are at a loss as to what has happened,” he said.
“We are unsure if it was motivated by the opposition to our development, or if it was just an opportunistic crime motivated by material gain.
“This is horrible. It’s a huge financial loss for us.”
Mr Senguttuvan said they would inspect the property at night times to ensure security.
“But the thing is now the theft teams are very advanced. They can put the drones, and they look at the activities then they’ll come and steal,” he said.
The panels are 2.4 metres wide and 1.8 metres tall, weighing a minimum of 15 to 20 kilograms and requiring considerable transport.
When contacted, Peninsula Green Wedge Protection Group spokesperson Craig Gobbi said: “The objective of the PGWPG is to protect unique Green Wedge land. We do not in any way condone acts of vandalism or theft.”
