00:00:00
Speaker 1: It's not a fun story to talk about. Tara Belton is the CEO of the RSL here in South Australia. We spoke with one of the specific branches affected at the Gums at McGill earlier in the week, but Tara obviously oversees the whole thing. Tara, good morning to you.
00:00:16
Speaker 2: Good morning.
00:00:17
Speaker 3: How are you?
00:00:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're well. We were shocked to be talking about it on Monday, and we're even more shocked to be talking about it again on a Wednesday.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: Presumably this is the same. Do we think it's the same group of people who are ripping these plaques off?
00:00:33
Speaker 3: Oh, look, you'd have to think there would definitely be some connection. I mean, they seem to be very well planned. The ones that were taken overnight, the night before last in the Rose Park area, we're talking, you know, 12, 14 plaques. And in a large spate of area. So they definitely must be calculated.
00:00:53
Speaker 2: Yeah. And so now we were talking, they've hit three locations, the gum, the plaques at Ridge Park and also now Burnside War Memorial. Do we know what on earth is happening with these plaques? What are people doing with them? Is it what we suspect and maybe trading them in for scrap metal?
00:01:14
Speaker 3: Oh, look, you can only speculate with what the end result is for someone that would do that. You know, we did some of our own research yesterday and asked a lot of questions of some of the scrap metal suppliers. And, you know, they've made it clear that there have been situations where people have melted down the metal themselves and tried to cash that in. And metal scrap yards won't accept that because of the impurities. And so you really don't know. I mean, there's obviously something in it because they keep doing it. But, yeah, what that end goal is, who knows?
00:01:46
Speaker 1: And I hate entertaining people. solutions that don't involve just taking these clowns out of circulation. But Andrew on the text lines, wondering whether you can, uh, start engraving people's names in stone as is done with headstones in his view. So the plaques themselves can't be stolen. Are we at the point of entertaining different ways of doing memorials, Tara, or is that too far down the track?
00:02:09
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, we've actually started doing that already. And isn't it shocking that we even need to think that way. Uh, I mean, these plaques, some of these plaques are over a hundred years old.
00:02:17
Speaker 4: Um, And they are that.
00:02:19
Speaker 3: Age because of what they're made from. I can't imagine that we would be able to come up with the same kind of material that would have that sort of age behind it. You know, it's just shocking that we're even at this point. What we do find is the plaques that aren't recessed, so if there is some way that you can get to the edge of them, they're the ones that are highest at risk. And, I mean, I even found myself driving into the office this morning and I'm looking at every single memorial that I know of as I drive past because, you know, sometimes you don't even know that it's been taken. And, you know, we're asking the community now to be very vigilant if they see anything, say something, because we just don't know how calculated this is. Are people dressed as tradespeople? You know, so the community will play a huge part in preventing this going forward. but also finding any of these plaques that may be lying around or being sold or whatever.
00:03:13
Speaker 1: I hope they do. I hope the people are dealt with. Tara, good on you. Thank you.
00:03:17
Speaker 3: Thank you.
00:03:18
Speaker 1: Tara Belton is the CEO of the RSL here in South Australia. Jack Batty, the member for Braggs, called in. Jack, good morning.
00:03:25
Speaker 4: Good morning.
00:03:26
Speaker 1: So what do you make of all this?
00:03:28
Speaker 4: Look, I just think this is a disgraceful act of disrespect at people a place dedicated to remembering those who served and sacrificed for our country. The War Memorial on Alexandra Avenue is just such an important part of our local community and what's been taken, quite frankly, is just irreplaceable. I think we need to crack down on this. Those stealing these plaques and anyone knowingly buying them have to be held accountable. and I'm going to be having a look at whether we can tighten up our laws, make some sort of aggravated offence or crack down on buyers because there should be nowhere you can cash in on stolen memorial plaques. It's just got to stop.
00:04:12
Speaker 1: Well done. That would be excellent. Thank you, Jack. Jack Batty, the member for Bragg.
00:04:17
Speaker 2: Worth noting as well that, yes, these plaques were stolen from the war memorial, which has been there since 1924, but Burnside Council says, We're also aware of a plaque that's been stolen from Linden Gardens Reserve on the corner of Portrush Road and Greenhill Road.
00:04:31
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:04:31
Speaker 2: So that's another one from a park, like the one in Ridge Park.
00:04:33
Speaker 1: That's interesting.
00:04:35
Speaker 2: People are just going around stealing plaques now.
00:04:38
Speaker 1: Yeah. It's a great sign of the times, isn't it?
Speaker 1: It's not a fun story to talk about. Tara Belton is the CEO of the RSL here in South Australia. We spoke with one of the specific branches affected at the Gums at McGill earlier in the week, but Tara obviously oversees the whole thing. Tara, good morning to you.
00:00:16
Speaker 2: Good morning.
00:00:17
Speaker 3: How are you?
00:00:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're well. We were shocked to be talking about it on Monday, and we're even more shocked to be talking about it again on a Wednesday.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: Presumably this is the same. Do we think it's the same group of people who are ripping these plaques off?
00:00:33
Speaker 3: Oh, look, you'd have to think there would definitely be some connection. I mean, they seem to be very well planned. The ones that were taken overnight, the night before last in the Rose Park area, we're talking, you know, 12, 14 plaques. And in a large spate of area. So they definitely must be calculated.
00:00:53
Speaker 2: Yeah. And so now we were talking, they've hit three locations, the gum, the plaques at Ridge Park and also now Burnside War Memorial. Do we know what on earth is happening with these plaques? What are people doing with them? Is it what we suspect and maybe trading them in for scrap metal?
00:01:14
Speaker 3: Oh, look, you can only speculate with what the end result is for someone that would do that. You know, we did some of our own research yesterday and asked a lot of questions of some of the scrap metal suppliers. And, you know, they've made it clear that there have been situations where people have melted down the metal themselves and tried to cash that in. And metal scrap yards won't accept that because of the impurities. And so you really don't know. I mean, there's obviously something in it because they keep doing it. But, yeah, what that end goal is, who knows?
00:01:46
Speaker 1: And I hate entertaining people. solutions that don't involve just taking these clowns out of circulation. But Andrew on the text lines, wondering whether you can, uh, start engraving people's names in stone as is done with headstones in his view. So the plaques themselves can't be stolen. Are we at the point of entertaining different ways of doing memorials, Tara, or is that too far down the track?
00:02:09
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, we've actually started doing that already. And isn't it shocking that we even need to think that way. Uh, I mean, these plaques, some of these plaques are over a hundred years old.
00:02:17
Speaker 4: Um, And they are that.
00:02:19
Speaker 3: Age because of what they're made from. I can't imagine that we would be able to come up with the same kind of material that would have that sort of age behind it. You know, it's just shocking that we're even at this point. What we do find is the plaques that aren't recessed, so if there is some way that you can get to the edge of them, they're the ones that are highest at risk. And, I mean, I even found myself driving into the office this morning and I'm looking at every single memorial that I know of as I drive past because, you know, sometimes you don't even know that it's been taken. And, you know, we're asking the community now to be very vigilant if they see anything, say something, because we just don't know how calculated this is. Are people dressed as tradespeople? You know, so the community will play a huge part in preventing this going forward. but also finding any of these plaques that may be lying around or being sold or whatever.
00:03:13
Speaker 1: I hope they do. I hope the people are dealt with. Tara, good on you. Thank you.
00:03:17
Speaker 3: Thank you.
00:03:18
Speaker 1: Tara Belton is the CEO of the RSL here in South Australia. Jack Batty, the member for Braggs, called in. Jack, good morning.
00:03:25
Speaker 4: Good morning.
00:03:26
Speaker 1: So what do you make of all this?
00:03:28
Speaker 4: Look, I just think this is a disgraceful act of disrespect at people a place dedicated to remembering those who served and sacrificed for our country. The War Memorial on Alexandra Avenue is just such an important part of our local community and what's been taken, quite frankly, is just irreplaceable. I think we need to crack down on this. Those stealing these plaques and anyone knowingly buying them have to be held accountable. and I'm going to be having a look at whether we can tighten up our laws, make some sort of aggravated offence or crack down on buyers because there should be nowhere you can cash in on stolen memorial plaques. It's just got to stop.
00:04:12
Speaker 1: Well done. That would be excellent. Thank you, Jack. Jack Batty, the member for Bragg.
00:04:17
Speaker 2: Worth noting as well that, yes, these plaques were stolen from the war memorial, which has been there since 1924, but Burnside Council says, We're also aware of a plaque that's been stolen from Linden Gardens Reserve on the corner of Portrush Road and Greenhill Road.
00:04:31
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:04:31
Speaker 2: So that's another one from a park, like the one in Ridge Park.
00:04:33
Speaker 1: That's interesting.
00:04:35
Speaker 2: People are just going around stealing plaques now.
00:04:38
Speaker 1: Yeah. It's a great sign of the times, isn't it?
