Gordon Scout Hall Group leader Martin Riddler told chrislynchmedia.com the burglars stripped and damaged two outdoor heat pumps in the early hours of Saturday morning.
They appeared to be at the Burnside Scouts' base on Avonhead Rd for nearly two hours, he told chrislynchmedia.com.
“They removed the cage around the heat pumps, cut through the copper pipes, and dismantled the units,” he said.
“They’ve taken parts from inside the heat pumps, probably for a small amount of scrap metal – maybe $10 or $20 worth – but it’s caused thousands of dollars in damage.”
The hall sits next to the Burnside Cricket Club. A person from the cricket club spotted the damage on Sunday morning and sent a photo to the Scouts.
“We’ve got cameras on the front and sides, and the cricket club next door has some too. But there’s no coverage around the back where these heat pumps are. That’s where they struck," Riddler told chrislynchmedia.com.
“These heat pumps are our only heat source.
“It gets pretty cold in there over winter, especially for the younger kids. We’ll have to tell people coming in for training courses to bring jackets.”
The incident has caused major disruption for the Burnside Scout Group, which is used by at least six groups each week, including three guide groups and three scout sections.
“The hall is busy every evening,” Riddler told chrislynchmedia.com.
“There are groups coming in all the time - it’s a community facility, and we even hire it out for other events. It’s not just Scouts that are affected.
“All of our leaders are volunteers. We already give up a lot of time to keep things running, and now we have to deal with this on top of everything else. It’s frustrating.”
Riddler said police have been informed, but there had been no follow-up so far.
“We understand they’re busy, especially if this sort of thing is happening elsewhere across the city,” Riddler told chrislynchmedia.com.
“You never know — maybe a good Samaritan out there can help us replace what’s been lost. It would make a huge difference.”
