Community reacts to demolition of Timaru gang pad
Tuesday, 16 May 2023
As decades of Timaru’s gang history was reduced to rubble in a matter of minutes, a worker in the area watched on with a sense of relief.
The worker, who Stuff has agreed not to name, said confirmation on Tuesday that the Timaru District Council had purchased the Meadows Rd property at the centre of gang tensions in the town was welcomed by those in the area.
For the past 10 days they had been on edge after the property, the long-time headquarters of the Devils Henchmen, was taken over by rival gang the Rebels.
“It’s an historic moment,’’ they said.
**READ MORE:
* Council confirms purchase of gang pad amid tensions, demolition underway
* Four arrested at gang pad facing firearms charges
* Four arrested: Police raid a 'strong message' gang activity not welcome, says Timaru mayor
**
Within minutes of the council announcing the purchase, the diggers arrived and started pulling down fencing and out buildings on the property about 2.30pm.
A small crowd gathered in front of the gang pad to watch the demolition, and vehicles were driven past with people stopping to take videos.
After the gates and out buildings were knocked down, plants and hedges were ripped from the ground in front of the main building on the site.
The main building, where only days earlier Rebels gang members stood on the balcony looking down as police cordoned off Meadows Rd, after reports of gunshots on Thursday.
That platform was next on the digger’s radar, as the left-hand side of the building was ripped down.
The sounds of the digger as it struck iron, concrete block and timber filled the air.
The worker said they were keen to watch as the buildings came down, citing it as a significant move following days of tension.
However, they were concerned about how the council’s purchase would affect their rates bill.
Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen, who wasted no time in making it clear the Rebels were not welcome in the town, said earlier on Tuesday it “won’t cost ratepayers anything, and that will supply more valuable industrial land back to our economy’’.
He watched as the buildings come down, saying he stayed as there were many South Canterbury contractors involved in the job.
As the last wall came down, Bowen said “it was an all-round, great community response’’.
“In six months, two fortified gang pads have been taken down, and the community can feel a lot safer.'’
A large police presence remained, ahead of the demolition, following a police raid on Monday, that resulted in the arrest of four men, aged 37, 51, 54 and 61 who were now facing firearms charges, the worker said.
“This morning [Tuesday] there were 16 cops there and 14 police cars that I could see,’’ they said.
They had also seen motorcycles being removed from the back of the property by police, and being wheeled into containers.
Another person had also driven onto the property in a van and loaded the vehicle with items, they said.
The worker, who said they kept a close eye on the property all day, hoped the area would return to being safer now.
Earlier this week, several people who worked in the area said they were uneasy about the tensions but pleased the police were patrolling about every 30 minutes. None were willing to be named for fear of retaliation.
The demolition comes just six days after the long-time headquarters of the Road Knights in Timaru was bowled.
In March, it was confirmed the High St properties had been sold to Timaru Developments Ltd. The company’s directors were well-known South Canterbury businessman Gary Rooney, and Ryan de Joux.
By 4.35pm, the former gang pad was down, and those in the area saw a new horizon.