EQUIPMENT valued at $15,000 was taken from the construction site of the new Wodonga saleyards at Barnawartha in a shock for its manager.
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A jackhammer, nailgun and welder were among the items stolen from the property opposite the Logic Centre between 4pm on Thursday and 7am on Friday.
“It’s a shock. I’m a bit blown away,” said site manager Wayne Aurisch, of Brice Engineers Pty Ltd.
“The fact that someone has come into your space and done this, it doesn’t go down well.”
Wodonga Detective Leading Sen-Constable Ian Deverell said burglars forced entry into the Mildrens Road site and broke in to locked shipping containers and an office containing the equipment.
Mr Aurisch said the burglary would not slow-down work on the saleyards, which is due for completion at the end of the year.
“It won’t inhibit the progress of the site, but it’s something we’d rather not happen that’s for sure,” he said.
Mr Aurisch said it was the first time he’d experience a crime of this scale.
“This is the first time and you’re talking to someone whose been in the industry for over 50 years,” he said.
He said the burglars would have known what was at the site.
“They came to commit a crime,” he said.
Mr Aurisch said he would re-assess the site’s security and he should be covered by insurance.
“There will be some degrees of insurance, but like anything there will be an excess at the end of it,” he said.
Sen-Constable Deverell asked anyone who noticed anything suspicious or is offered a power tool for sale in suspicious circumstances to phone police on (02) 6049 2600.