INVESTIGATIONS are continuing after children's play equipment was found alight in a popular Bathurst playground.
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Bathurst's Fire and Rescue NSW crew was called to the Adventure Playground at 2.22am on Tuesday after receiving reports of a fire from the public.
Upon arrival, they discovered it was at the bike education precinct on the Howick Street side of the park.
"It's where the kids can learn to ride their bike, someone had decided to light a go-kart on fire there," Station Officer Anderson said.
"The fire has spread to the house structures that were in there ... it's quite extensively damaged."
The matter was referred to the police for investigation.
"Investigations are continuing and if anyone has any information, let the police know," Chifley Police District duty officer Gerard Powell said.
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Councillor Warren Aubin has called the incident a "deplorable act" and he hopes to see the perpetrator caught.
"It is horrible that people would even think about doing this to a children's playground and take these areas away from children," he said.
The bike education centre is a relatively new addition to the Adventure Playground precinct, having been officially opened by Bathurst Regional Council in late 2015.
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Council inspected the damage to the facility on Tuesday and by mid afternoon had already began clean up and repairs to some of the equipment.
"Fire damage has been sustained to some timber posts and wall cladding of the cubby play area and surrounding paving located within the bike education play space at the Adventure Playground," director of Engineering Services Darren Sturgiss said.
"Council staff are assessing the damage to determine what will be involved to have the site restored."
He said park patrons should avoid the damaged area until it is cleaned up,
Unfortunately, the Adventure Playground is not one of the areas in Bathurst monitored by closed-circuit television (CCTV) and such footage can't assist police.
Cr Aubin said, given the fire, CCTV may need to be considered in future.
"You hope people are responsible enough not to do this, but obviously they are not, so it might be a case to put some CCTV up in the area," he said.