Councillor Steve Beardon has welcomed the State Opposition’s call for the Bracks Government to follow Casey’s lead and enforce a zero tolerance approach to graffiti.
By Alison Noonan
THE City of Casey’s world class graffiti removal policy could soon be adopted statewide.
The State Opposition has called for the Bracks Government to follow Casey Council’s lead in enforcing a zero tolerance approach to graffiti.
Public transport opposition spokesman Terry Mulder said he welcomed news that the State Government would launch a one-off graffiti cleanup of Melbourne’s public transport network.
However he said an ongoing strategy was needed to attack and clean graffiti swiftly, modelled on the City of Casey program.
“Victoria needs a statewide strategy to tackle graffiti. Clean up efforts should also be matched with deterrents,” Mr Mulder said.
“Graffiti vandals have been using our trains and train lines as graffiti canvasses for too long but this one-off clean up is not going to stop them.”
Mr Mulder said the Liberal Party supported the introduction of a number of measures to prevent graffiti vandalism, including a ban on the sale of paint cans to minors and a statewide hotline to report graffiti (as in the City of Casey), a targeted assault on graffiti along metropolitan train lines and the implementation of a program to make graffiti offenders clean vandalised surfaces through Anti Social Behaviour Orders.
Casey councillor and graffiti fighter Steve Beardon said he hoped residents across Victoria would soon benefit from a state program modelled on Casey’s.
“We no doubt have one of Australia’s best cleaning programs,” he said.
“I am very pleased that both political parties now rate graffiti as an issue that is impacting heavily on the safety and visual appearance of our suburbs.
“The rail lines are in need of a cleanup. Although vandals persist, any cleanup is most welcome and would need to be ongoing to deter them.
“It’s been a long battle for state legislation but I reckon we’re close and what a breakthrough for residents across Victoria.”
Cr Beardon said he had also received support from Cranbourne MP Jude Perera for the introduction of a tamper-proof aerosol spray can.
“A tamper proof spray can would remove theneed for traders to lock up spray cans.
“Graffiti vandals need to replace the standard nozzle on spray cans with specifically purchased nozzles to spray their scrawls and this invention would certainly make it more difficult to spray.”
Edrington Ward councillor Brian Hetherton also called for State Government action in the war against graffiti at a recent council meeting.
Cr Hetherton said the government needed to establish a program to remove graffiti from property under its control, such as train corridors and arterial roads.
