By Belinda Nolan
BRIMBANK Council has declared war on graffiti and is calling on residents to clean up vandals’ acts.
The council is handing out graffiti removal vouchers in a bid to encourage residents to remove graffiti on private properties.
The first 90 people to call the council will receive the $80 vouchers, which can be exchanged for a graffiti removal kit, including graffiti removal fluid, four litres of exterior paint and a paint roller to erase the offending tags.
The scheme was originally offered to residents in Albion, where illegal graffiti has emerged as a major problem on private property, but it was recently decided to extend the offer to all Brimbank residents.
In February, Star reported that the council spent more than half a million dollars each year repairing the damage done by destructive vandals, including graffiti removal. The council believes that the prompt removal of graffiti could help deter vandals from re-tagging because it limited the exposure of the tag.
The council currently offers free graffiti removal when it is highly visible on private and commercial properties.
But council officers are not permitted to trespass on private land in their clean-up efforts.
Under the council’s guidelines, street art graffiti is allowed when approved by the council and property owner.
Examples of legal graffiti can be seen at the Sunshine and Albion train stations.
Residents wishing to obtain a free voucher or report graffiti on council property should contact the council’s customer service centre on 9249 4000.
