AUTHORITIES are declaring a war on graffiti across the region.
Graffiti clean-up kits for residents and businesses and a new policy for creating murals are being proposed to improve graffiti management on the Fraser Coast.
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Council recently released a Draft Graffiti Management and Mural Policy and is calling on the community to provide feedback.
Division 9 Councillor David Lee said the policy was being developed in response to calls from residents and business owners to counter an apparent rise in graffiti across the region.
“While Council has been tackling graffiti for years, it wants to elicit more community help to tackle graffiti head on,” Cr Lee said.
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“We want to encourage people to report graffiti and remove graffiti from their fences and businesses as quickly as possible. Council will also work to quickly remove graffiti from Council property and other publicly-owned infrastructure,” he said.
“We hope to develop an arrangement with business and government agencies, such as Ergon, so we can remove graffiti from public infrastructure such as power boxes as quickly as possible. It is generally accepted that graffiti attracts more graffiti, so we have to move quickly to have it removed.”
Council will also increase its contact with police regarding hotspots.
Cr Lee said the strategy also included a push to create murals and public art to deter graffiti.
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“Research shows that murals in public spaces are less prone to vandalism,” he said.
“Murals will be covered by a protective ‘anti-graffiti’ coating to ensure they can be cleaned quickly and easily.”
Feedback on graffiti management can be provided through the Engagement Hub – closing date, 11:55pm, Sunday 9 May 2021.