We're pleased to share that our recent Proactive Graffiti Removal trial has been a major success! Over the past six months, we trialled a new approach to how we target illegal and offensive graffiti in public spaces by funding additional resources and taking a more proactive approach.
Council has a target to remove non-offensive graffiti from public spaces within 20 working days. We achieve this goal nearly 100% of the time and we average around 230 graffiti removal jobs each month.
This trial proactive graffiti program aimed to remove offensive graffiti at an even faster rate. Now that the results are in, we've recorded a massive increase in the removal of offensive graffiti around our community. In response to this, Council has decided to make this trial program a permanent part of our work schedule.
"We measure how successful Council is at removing offensive graffiti by looking at the percentage of times we're able to target and remove offensive graffiti within two working days, from when it was first recorded," Wollongong City Council Manager City Works Corey Stoneham.
"Before the trial began, we were roughly averaging a 30% success rate of removing offensive graffiti in this two-day window. Now, we've managed to push this close to 80% of the time. This is a fantastic achievement for the trial program.
"Council now plans to make the Proactive Graffiti Removal trial a permanent tool in our toolbox when it comes to managing and removing offensive graffiti."
This isn't the only way we work to keep our community clean and tidy and free of illegal graffiti. Council works closely with a number of community groups, businesses and community champions such as the Corrimal Chamber of Commerce, Corrective Services, Rotary Club of Dapto and Essential Personnel to target and address graffiti in our suburbs. We also run graffiti prevention activities such as offering residents a free graffiti removal kit, commissioning community murals on Council buildings and running graffiti prevention and education programs in our local schools.
