Arabic version: سرقة دراجات من «داروين مينز شيد» تعطل عمليات التسليم إلى المناطق النائية

According to ABC News, the Darwin Men’s Shed Association says repeated break-ins at its Woolner storage facility have disrupted its ability to restore and deliver donated bicycles to remote Northern Territory communities.

The not-for-profit organisation said intruders had entered the facility four times since April. About 60 repaired bicycles destined for women’s and children’s programs were stolen, along with boxes of donated bike parts, electric-bike equipment, copper wire and lumber. Darwin Men’s Shed president Brian Harvey estimated the losses at between $20,000 and $25,000.

Mr Harvey said the thefts had affected the shed’s income and left it unable to store bicycles and equipment at the location. He said every stolen bicycle represented time spent by volunteers repairing and preparing it for a new owner. The organisation has moved its stock from the Woolner unit to its head office and now needs to rebuild its bicycle supply.

The group is making new arrangements with communities including Nhulunbuy, Palumpa and Galiwin’ku. Mr Harvey said the break-ins had been reported to police, but he was concerned the bicycles could be difficult to identify because many did not have serial numbers.

Neighbourhood Watch NT chief executive Veronica Larson said community organisations could be more accessible to offenders than larger companies and that repeated burglaries could cause lasting harm through property damage, insurance claims and unrecoverable items. She encouraged visible CCTV, improved lighting, trimmed vegetation and reporting thefts to police or Crime Stoppers. Darwin Men’s Shed is seeking bicycle donations while it works towards a proposed new facility with more secure storage.