The Hunter Wetlands Centre in New South Wales has suffered a suspected arson attack that destroyed storage sheds and valuable equipment. CEO Ken Bayliss reported that motion cameras, originally set up to monitor feral pests, detected a group of men near the work sheds at 6:20 pm on Monday.
Bayliss arrived at the scene within 10 minutes to find four sheds fully engulfed in flames. The fire destroyed all contents, including whipper snippers, chainsaws, two ride-on mowers, a Great Wall ute that had just been registered, a tractor, and an aluminium boat. Seven fire trucks responded, and the blaze was extinguished by 9 pm.
Bayliss expressed shock at the attack, stating he had no idea about the motive. The centre had planned to reopen on Monday after a closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had already caused a loss of income. 'This place is totally run and managed by volunteers – and that sort of stuff we don't need,' Bayliss said, adding that the timing could not have been worse.
