A large plane table/ diorama has been stolen from the Fairlie Basin and the Fairlie community would like it back.
The large stainless steel disc has gone missing sometime over the last two weeks, says Constable Paul COOPER.
"It is a 360 degree map of the Fairlie Basin, given to the district as a millenium project by the local Lions club," he says. "Someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to prise it off but it has no value as scrap metal."
One metre wide and 8mm thick, the plane table was installed in November 2001 and is already a landmark in the area. It is at a layby at Mt Michael, the first high point past Christchurch for motorists heading south, says Norm Blakemore, Secretary of the Fairlie Lions.
"A lot of tourists stop here as it is the first vantage point past Christchurch," he says. "Tour buses often use it to let passengers look at the mountains. As you can imagine the view, particularly in winter, is magnificent."
Mr Blakemore says it is frustrating to have gone to all the effort to install the plane table now to have had it removed.
"It was a gift to all the people of the McKenzie country. The engraving and the detail on the disc are worth a great deal more that the scrap metal value," he says.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact their local police. The `removers’ are asked to leave the plane table somewhere safe where it can be recovered.