The 63 posts and chain link fence was part of a one-way parking area in Island Cliff-Duntroon Rd, opposite the popular stop in the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark, near Duntroon.
The Waitaki District Council built the additional car parking area in 2019 to improve road safety at the site in collaboration with the Fenwick family, who privately own the land.
Over the last year, the Fenwicks endured a spate of vandalism on the land, including an increase in visitors chipping off pieces of the rocks, carving their names into the geological formations, spray-painting graffiti, damaging stock signs on their dairy farm and doing burnouts on one of the grassed parking sites.
Maylene Fenwick said yesterday the most recent episode — the destruction of the bollards — was "so disappointing".
"We’re sick of the disgusting vandalism that continues to happen in the area, it’s happening too often.
"The council kindly put in those poles and chains because we said someone is going to get killed here soon because the area is so dangerous with people crossing the road and pulling back out into traffic.
"For someone to come along and knock them all over ... all they can think about is themselves," Mrs Fenwick said.
A member of her family reported the damage to the bollards last week, after seeing lights in the area about 9.30pm on Thursday while working on the farm, she said.
It had since been reported to police and the investigation under way included remnants of a vehicle left at the scene.
"It’s just so selfish, these actions — we’ve got new graffiti in the Elephant Rocks now that I’ve seen in the last couple of months too. People just don’t respect the place ... everyone is allowed access here and it would be a shame if it was to change because of these incidents," Mrs Fenwick said.
Speculation was rife on the Waitaki District Council page yesterday, many "incorrectly" saying the council paid for all the upgrades to the area near the tourist site.
The family had spent over $45,000 on a larger carpark, facilities and picnic tables over the last two years to enable safer and easier access for the public to enjoy the tourist site, she said.
They moved the original carpark and entrance to the Elephant Rocks away from the main road to make it safer for tourists and visitors to the site after witnessing many "near misses" with people angle parking, backing out into traffic or doing three-point turns on the busy road.
"The bollards really need to be reinstated for safety’s sake, and I don’t say that lightly," Mrs Fenwick said.
A council spokesperson said the bollards and chain had been in place "without incident for six years" and it was disappointing they had been damaged in that way.
"Prior to the landowner creating the carpark on their land, this was the only parking for visitors to the rocks.
"The posts were installed to manage the safety of pedestrians crossing the road."
The 2019 project cost for the 110m parking bay, including the creation of the bay, sealing the entrances and exits, forming drainage and installing the chain-link bollards, was around $35,000.
Without someone coming forward to explain the damage, the cost of replacing the bollards would fall on the ratepayers, the spokesperson said.
