The former Jindabyne Central School site, left vacant after its re-location in 2025, has been ravaged by extensive vandalism, causing damage now estimated to exceed $200,000 and fear among the community living close.

Residents living near the site describe heightened fear and frustration, with ongoing nightly disturbances and concerns about safety.

For residents like 78-year-old, Jim Crocker, living close by the site has caused anxiety for him and his wife saying, “it’s very, very unnerving.”

He shared his distress, compounded by a recent personal health crisis, stating, “This sort of thing going on next door, has put a lot of stress on us and if anything was to happen like the site being set on fire, we are worried for our own health and safety.”

He recounted hearing “them smashing stuff up” one night and witnessing incidents that required calls to both police and fire services, including one instance where a flare was reportedly set off inside one of the buildings.

“Most of the vandalism is being done by local kids,” Mr Crocker said, calling for parental accountability.

“Apart from constant police calls the fire brigade has been called in there too. It’s all very concerning for the neighbourhood.”

Mr Crocker’s trusty companion, his Jack Russell, acts as a constant alarm, barking at night-time activity and keeping them aware of any anti-social behaviour going on around them.

Having witnessed the school’s foundations being laid and being there for the turning of the sod on the site back in the 1960s, Mr Crocker expressed deep sadness at seeing the buildings being “wrecked and smashed up.”

He said he just wants to know what is happening with the site moving forward and he, like others, worries about the impact on property values in the area, once a plan has been put in place. “We just want to feel safe in our own home again,” Mr Crocker said.

The Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, said he has spoken to the NSW Department of Education which owns the land and they are taking steps to ensure the vandalism lessens and the damage is dealt with.

Mr Whan said he has received concerned calls from the community regarding the situation and said it has been reported that, “everything that was possible to destroy at the site has been targeted. Every window and door have been smashed, requiring extensive boarding up, and any remaining alarms or cameras have been vandalised and destroyed too.

“It’s incredibly disappointing because it means local people who’ve undertaken this vandalism have actually stopped the opportunities for others to use it,” Mr Whan said.

“Plans to make the school hall available for public use were ultimately scrapped, not only due to the council’s reluctance but also because the Department of Education deemed the vandalism too extensive to ensure its safety and usability.”

The initial damage which took place back in May was estimated at more than $200,000, a figure that has since been surpassed due to recent damage.

Most recoverable equipment and all demountable buildings were removed when the school re-located, leaving fixed structures vulnerable to continued attacks.

Local authorities, including the Department of Education, are attempting to manage the deteriorating site by scheduling regular grounds maintenance, including mowing and rubbish clean-up, and have boarded up all windows and doors on the remaining buildings.

However, with no active security systems and limited police resources, containing the problem has proved challenging.

“Police are made aware of it, but the issue is, of course, that the police are responding to things which are actually a threat to life and property, which is in use a lot of the time,” Mr Whan said.

“While a private security company is engaged, patrols are infrequent. The Department of Education believes the rate of vandalism has “paused for now” mainly because there’s little left to damage that hasn’t already been boarded up.

“Ultimately, the site is going to become available for sale and re-development and the best bet now is to progress the sale of the site as quickly as possible so that re-development can occur more promptly.”

Police have stated that if vandals are caught, they face charges that could significantly impact their future prospects, and police encourage the community to call the Jindabyne police station and make a report when they notice anti-social behaviour taking place on the site.