Wollongong City Council will implement a new Proactive Graffiti Removal trial to target problem graffiti before it's flagged with our Customer Service team.
The graffiti crew will embrace a proactive approach where they schedule regular stops at tagging hotspots to remove graffiti before they're reported to Council. The program will work in conjunction with existing programs.
Illegal graffiti is an important issue for many members of our community, and we want to make sure that graffiti is removed in a timely manner so that everyone can enjoy our public spaces.
"Graffiti is a major antisocial problem. It's not heroic, it wrecks the visual environment and detracts from a sense of safety and cleanliness. It wastes Council time and community resources which could be better used to build and maintain assets and support community programs," Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
"We try to remove graffiti as quickly as possible, especially when it's racist, defamatory or offensive. However, up until now we've managed graffiti removal on more of a reactive basis. We want to change our approach by providing rapid removal of graffiti for our communities."
The Proactive Graffiti Removal trial will run for six months and will aim to target illegal graffiti on public assets such as bus shelters and street signs.
Once the trial is complete, we will then review the results to determine the effectiveness of our program and see if this is something we could continue into the future.
"Do you know of a public asset or location that's been affected by illegal graffiti? The best thing to do is to report it as soon as you see it. Once your report is lodged our teams will work to remove it in a timely manner," said Cr Bradbery.
Report illegal graffiti to Council by calling (02) 4227 7111, by submitting an online form on the Wollongong City Council website or calling the NSW Police on 131 444.
