By Alesha Capone
BRIMBANK City Council has welcomed a State Government commitment to devote millions of dollars to graffiti-removal and CCTV grants, if they win the upcoming State Election.
Last week, the ALP announced they would allocate $7.3 million to expanding graffiti removal programs, building upon existing partnerships with councils and forcing offenders to clean up community assets as punishment. The government also promised a new $5.2 million “Community Safety and Graffiti Grants program”. Under the scheme, councils and community groups could apply for grants to implement safety measures like CCTV cameras.
Brimbank City Council’s general manager of city development Stephen Sully said the council “welcomes initiatives that improve the safety of residents and the ambience of the community”.
Mr Sully said the council spent around $200,000 on graffiti removal every year, with employees conducting “pro-active inspections and removal” on Brimbank’s graffiti hotspots.
He said the suburbs with the worst graffiti problem varied every month but currently included Sunshine, St Albans and Deer Park.
“Brimbank Council is working with Corrections Victoria and the Department of Justice for graffiti removal in playgrounds, reserves and laneways around Sunshine and St Albans,” Mr Sully said.
He said the council removed highly-visible graffiti, which could be seen from highways and main roads.
The council also eliminates graffiti from private and commercial frontages along major thoroughfares, around shopping centres and sport, recreation and entertainment areas.
“When graffiti is reported on property not maintained or owned by the council, the council will contact the relevant authority, like VicTrack, to have the graffiti removed,” Mr Sully said.
