THE theft of items from the construction of the Macquarie pipeline have frustrated construction managers.
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Project contractor Leed Engineering and Construction reported the incidents to police and will step-up security in an attempt to identify those responsible for the thefts.
Leed management is also reviewing CCTV images from worksite cameras.
Leed project manager Corey Bourne said there had been several break-ins over the last six months, and the latest incidents were frustrating for his workers, proving costly and causing delays.
On Monday night thieves broke into large excavation machinery, stealing diesel fuel and removing a fuel filter.
“By the time the filter’s been replaced and the excavator’s been re-fuelled, the crew has lost three or four hours’ work on top of the cost of the diesel,” Mr Bourne said.
“It’s also a concern that when they’re stealing the diesel, fuel is being split and there’s the risk of further damage.
“In other incidents, the heavy-duty steel cover on the excavator cabin has been wrenched off and UHF radios taken.”
On Saturday night thieves went to a worksite at Summer Hill Creek where crews were building the pipeline across the creek.
A temporary dam had been built to keep the water out of the construction area and contractors had installed pumps to keep environmental flows occurring in the river, around the worksite.
“Thieves stole two batteries from the pumps, interrupting the flow of water and potentially causing problems for landholders downstream,” Mr Bourne said.
“I hope locals travelling nearby can help stamp out this problem by keeping a lookout for any suspicious activity and contact police.”
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au