By Alesha Capone
Members of the Werribee Little Athletics Centre have been left devastated after thieves stole a Kubota utility vehicle, valued at $15,000, from their Hoppers Crossing headquarters.
Club president Rob de Wit said the Kubota was stolen from a storage shed at the Hoppers Lane athletic track, either overnight or during the early hours of Saturday, February 2.
He said members of the centre had fundraised to buy the Kubota, which was used to move equipment for organising sports events.
Mr de Wit said the theft, which has been reported to police, would have a “significant impact” on the centre’s volunteers who would now have to spend more time setting up for events.
“Now we have to get there earlier and leave later,” he said.
“We are disappointed – it was a good piece of equipment.”
Mr de Wit said that the loss of the Kubota had struck the centre particularly hard, as it was stolen almost two weeks before the western metropolitan region’s Track and Field Championships, which were held on the weekend of February 16 and 17.
About 620 young people competed in the event.
Anyone with information about the stolen Kubota can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
