Arson attacks driving up building costs
Builders say vandalism and arson attacks on homes under construction are driving up the costs of building.
Just before three o'clock this morning, police were called to a group of townhouses on fire, that were still under construction on Sturt Rd at Sturt.
The townhouses were just down the road from the Sturt police station, quick action meant only one was gutted by flames.
But the arsonists also took to vandalising the properties too, smashing windows and panels of the houses.
Tradesmen showed up to the site, ready for work this morning, only to be disheartened at the delays caused by the vandals.
"We rocked up this morning and obviously it's a bit of a shock, we were actually working on that house yesterday, we had almost finished it, so it's a bit disappointing really, we'd just invoiced for that and now we have to start all over again," one builder, Ryan Smith, told 7News.
"All our panels had been pushed over and cracked, they're useless to us now," he said.
He said it is now common for building sites to be vandalised and targeted by thieves.
"We bust our guts everyday to try and build these house and then people just come in overnight and it's done, it took us three days to get where we were and it's been taken away."
"I've been doing this for five years now and when I first started out you could leave a generator on site, with a chain around it and you'd be right."
"But blokes are rocking up with all the right tools to be where they need to be and taking everything."
"Don't leave anything here, it's guaranteed to get stolen," he said.
Developer, Brad Jansen, said the continual costs builders are facing from theft and vandalism is something that is now being factored into building quotes.
"It's treated as a cost of construction now, as I said, most builders aren't claiming these, it just gets swept under the carpet, the consumer cops it at the end of the day," he said.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact BankSA Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
