HALLS Head Community College education support centre students have been left devastated after thieves stole their school trailer.
The trailer is used for the Eco Leaders class, who head out to Mandurah beaches every Friday to clean up litter and revegetate coastlines.
The trailer was stolen from the school’s Catalina Drive campus on Friday night and teacher Graeme Dixon said he was disgusted by the act.
“The trailer was donated to us by Halls Head Community Branch of Bendigo Bank and had a custom-made interior to fit our gardening supplies,” he said.
“There was a wheelbarrow, spades and two blower vacuums, one of which was brand new.
“Whoever took it would have had to move two of the temporary fences in place around the building site and navigate a myriad of tracks to get it out.
“The kids are really disappointed with the community because they do so much work in it – it’s like a slap in the face.”
The trailer is a South West trailers lawnmowing contractors trailer and has Bendigo Bank signage on the side and the name of the school.
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
There are 46 education support centre students and eight of them take part in the Eco Leaders program.
At the school the students have a vegetable garden and a productive nursery and sell 4000-5000 plants to the Cities of Mandurah and Vincent annually.
“The ones for the City of Mandurah we get the students to help plant them on the beach because it gives them a sense of community involvement and pride,” Mr Dixon said.
“It’s also about letting the general public see these students with disabilities participating in the community.
“All year round the students take part in nursery maintenance and growing seedlings.”
The students only plant during the winter months and have spend recent weeks cleaning up local beaches.
“The kids will rake cigarette butts from the sand around the carpark and barbecues and also lay down branches to keep the sand from blowing away so native plants can grow.”
