Fire anger

By Monique Ebrington
UPPER Yarra residents have slammed arsonists who destroyed a popular play area for children.
Yarra Junction police were called to the outdoor playground, near the Yarra Junction Football Oval, at 3.15 on Sunday 13 September.
Yarra Junction CFA volunteers were already at the scene, attending to a fire that had been lit on the playground’s largest play structure.
The wooden structure comprised of three connecting play areas, with tunnels, ramps and climbing equipment leading from them.
Wesburn couple Richard and Pam Finette regular-ly take their two children to the Yarra Junction playground.
Mr Finette said the destruction to the playground was devastating for the children and a painful reminder of the recent bushfires.
“We all had bushfires at the start of the year and to be reminded of that by having a fire lit in the middle of town is just terrible,” Mr Finette said.
Yarra Junction resident Sheridan Ireland attends a local mothers group with her six-month-old son Robert.
She said the group, with more than 10 children, visited the playground on a weekly basis because it was safe, completely enclosed, fun for the children and ‘perfect’ for their group.
She said the group would now be forced to find another location.
Yarra Ranges councillor Chris Templer said the shire wanted to work quickly in rebuilding the playground.
He described the arson attack as ‘incredibly low’ and wanted to work towards finding an alternative form of entertainment, rather than vandalism.
“When you see this kind of destruction it makes you want to beat the vandals around the head,” Cr Templer said. “But then I want to talk to them. To find out what we can do to give them something better to do with their time,”
“Torching a children’s playground is a low act, there’s no glory in it,”
“It has only ruined Yarra Junction’s main safe, open play space that families and children enjoy.”
Upper Yarra Rotary Club worked in consultation with the shire council during the planning process of the playground and built it in 2001.
Former Upper Yarra Rotary president Tim Stewart said the club won a Rotary District Community Service Award that year, for their work towards the playground.
He said while he was saddened and frustrated by the fire that caused more than $40,000 worth of damage, he pitied the firebugs responsible.
“I suppose if I confronted them I don’t think I’d be angry with them,” Mr Stewart said.
“There’s obviously something missing in their life, if that’s where they derive their satisfaction.”
Cr Templer said the shire hoped to work with the Upper Yarra Rotary Club again, this time in the reconstruction of the playground.
Anyone with information on the fire at the Yarra Junction outdoor playground can phone Lilydale Criminal Investigation Unit on 9735 1066 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.