Hoons have been targeting sports fields and walking tracks, making them unusable, and costing ratepayers thousands of dollars.

Auckland Council says multiple much-loved sports fields and walking tracks have been torn up by cars and quad bikes in the past month.

Vandals have caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage at Ōrākei Basin rugby field in recent weeks, general manager parks and community facilities Taryn Crewe said.

A walking track at Whakanewha Regional Park has been torn up.

Playing surfaces at Mountfort Park in Manurewa has also seen significant damage caused by motorbike-related vandalism.

Both incidents have impacted the local club’s ability to play on the fields.

She said council staff and contractors were working hard to repair the damage, but the financial and environmental costs continued to grow.

“Our parks are places where people connect with nature, play sport, and spend time with whānau and friends.”

Motorbike-related vandalism has caused significant damage to playing surfaces at Mountfort Park, Manurewa.

Another damaged track at Whakanewha Regional Park.

The damage at Mountfort Park, impacted the local club’s ability to play.

“It’s disheartening to see behaviour that damages these spaces, especially when it means we have to divert funding from other projects — like planting, maintenance, or improving facilities — to cover repairs.

“The majority of these incidents are happening in the wetter winter months, when tracks and fields become more easily damaged, and quieter conditions provide cover for irresponsible behaviour.”

Auckland Council is urging witnesses to illegal activity in parks and open spaces to report it to police and to report damage to Auckland Council through an online report.