By ALESHA CAPONE
TWO Hobsons Bay City councillors have condemned an “absolutely mad” rise in graffiti across Altona, Altona Meadows, Newport and Williamstown.
At last week’s council meeting Cr Angela Altair and Mayor Tony Briffa asked Hobsons Bay’s recreation manager Marg Scanlon to investigate the issue.
Cr Altair said the graffiti vandals were causing danger for pedestrians and motorists in Newport.
“Ms Scanlon, there’s been an absolute upsurge in graffiti particularly in the Hall St precinct, where I would have thought to the extent it would have been causing a threat to safety because some of the signage is completely covered over,” Cr Altair said.
She said the heritage-listed Thompson St railway bridge in Williamstown has been targeted by graffitists.
“It’s pretty sad they’ve gone nuts again. Really absolutely mad at the moment,” Cr Altair said.
Cr Briffa said: “There’s just graffiti everywhere” in Pier St and Harrington Square in Altona and Central Ave in Altona Meadows .
“We’ve had a spate of graffiti in Altona in recent times,” he said.
“School holidays brings it out sadly and I have to say also with the warm weather we’ve experienced on certain days with lots of visitors coming to Altona in particular – I’ve noticed quite a bit of graffiti.”
Altona Village Traders Association president Kim Walsh said a graffiti vandal spray-painted shop windows along Pier St last Tuesday night.
“We try and encourage traders to clean up straight away as that’s the best way to discourage it,” Mr Walsh said.
“We didn’t see a marked increase during the school holidays so we can’t blame them.
“Overall it’s been reasonably okay – excluding the recent spate – compared to how it was a few years ago.”
