A bright orange 2020 Cormidi tracked dumper appears to have fallen off the earth, having been taken from the Gentle Annie Seaside Accommodation and Camping Ground on the West Coast.
The digger is a key cog in the building of tracks and trails near the Gentle Annie complex about 50km north of Westport.
The digger is worth $35,000 and with some hard work being done was going to help carry gravel to dug-out tracks and trails.
Accommodation owner Jesse Paley-Atkins said the theft was particularly disappointing as 5km of tracks had been completed and the digger was an important tool in their construction.
The digger was first noticed missing last Saturday. It had been sitting off the road in a private property. A truck or large trailer would have been needed to steal the digger. A local resident must know something about the disappearance, Mr Paley-Atkins said.
He said the tracks were a great asset to the local community, which made this theft very frustrating. The plan had been to build a bike track at a local school over summer using the digger.
"It’s very likely someone in the local community knows of its whereabouts. Please do the right thing and help us locate it," he said.
There is a $2000 reward for information leading to its successful return. A Givealittle page had also been launched under the Gentle Annie Seaside Accommodation and Camping Ground to help assist the camping ground.
