A Telstra payphone under constant attack at Maloneys Beach was removed after the lastest attack just a few weeks ago.
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Telstra is currently holding the phone box until a decision is made on whether it is worth re-installing.
Telstra Countrywide general manager Chris Taylor said this wasn’t the first time the phone box had been targeted.
“It’s an issue – there have been 12 acts of vandalism on it in the past 12 months,” he said.
“The glass has already been replaced with mesh, and there’s also been general damage to it, such as in the coin slots.”
Mr Taylor said it would take Telstra about three months to decide whether or not the phone should be removed forever or if it was worth the cost of keeping it there.
However, he said it was unlikely the payphone would be returned.
“It’s not a highly used one. There is a payphone within 1.5km from where that one is.”
If it is returned to Maloneys Beach, it will be the fourth time it has been re-installed in the past year.
While he couldn’t determine the exact costs of repairing the damage, Mr Taylor said it was extensive.
Evwen though the offenders have not been found, Mr Taylor said 12 acts of vandalism on the one object usually indicated one repeat offender.
“At the end of the day, it’s pretty senseless for someone to be spoiling it for the rest of the community,” he said.
While the attacks on this payphone have been frequent, police say vandalism is not a common problem in the area.
“At the moment, it’s one of the things that is decreasing,” Far South Coast local area command crime manager Detective Inspector Kevin McNeil said.
“In Batemans Bay the weekly average at the moment for incidents of malicious damage is six per week.”
Insp McNeil said that last year the average number of incidents each week was 84.
He said the decrease was “sensational”.
“Over the Christmas period it was noticed that people had been fantastic,” he said.
“Malicious damage is a definite downward trend at the moment.”
He attributed the decrease in malicious damage to more police presence on the streets, and people’s awareness about drinking in public places.
