A FOUR-seater electric buggy used to transport children and adults with disabilities has been stolen from a Balnarring Beach charity that supports vulnerable Victorian families.
The buggy was taken from Saltbush Balnarring Beach about midnight on Saturday 25 April. Thieves used bolt cutters on the entrance gate and broke a downpipe when removing the vehicle from a secure storage area behind the front office.
Saltbush Balnarring Beach chief executive officer, Keeley Reade, said staff discovered the theft on Monday morning, 27 April. A sensor light provided the only clue to the timing, with the charity’s CCTV not covering the storage area overnight.
Police are investigating and welcome any information relating to the theft.
The buggy was purchased in 2015 to move guests with disabilities around Saltbush’s 45-acre property, much of which is undulating and grass-covered.
Reade said a new buggy would cost between $10,000 and $12,000. The charity is insured through parent organisation Kildare Ministries under a policy designed primarily for schools, with a $5,000 excess that exceeds the buggy’s insured value, making a claim impractical.
“We run our charity on the smell of an oily rag. We survive thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers and we don’t receive any government funding,” Reade said.
“Our insurance excess is much higher than the replacement cost of the buggy, which means that it is a hard loss. Stealing from a charity that is trying to help vulnerable people is a low and cowardly act.”
Saltbush supports about 1,500 guests a year, including families with sick or disabled children, families facing trauma and women escaping domestic violence. The charity also runs school holiday programs for disadvantaged children and water-safety lessons for refugee groups.
Reade said staff would now use a car to move guests with mobility needs around the site until the buggy could be replaced.
“The buggy is a very important piece of equipment that allowed us to transport children and adults with disabilities around the site,” Reade said. “It enabled them to enjoy the beauty and healing benefits of our native bushland and join in with activities with their families.
“It’s hard enough to find the means to provide the services we do without being deliberately targeted by thieves.”
First published in the Mornington News – 5 May 2026
