Graffiti Removal

For Graffiti Removal,
call 1800 VANDAL (1800 826 325) or
email casey@ums.com.au

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Council’s Commitment to a Graffiti-Free Casey

The City of Casey is one of Victoria's fastest growing municipalities, covering an area of approximately 400 square kilometres on the south eastern edge of Melbourne, and includes 23 suburbs and townships. The municipality takes in diverse geographic and demographic areas, stretching from the foothills of the Dandenongs, through densely populated urban areas, regions of rapid residential growth and stretches of open farmland to the coastal villages of Western Port. Like most local government areas, the issue of graffiti and the resulting significant social and economic costs was being continually raised. In response to these concerns and the challenge graffiti presented, in 2002 the City of Casey initiated a comprehensive Graffiti Management Program.

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Casey's Graffiti Management Program

Prior to 2002 the City of Casey only removed graffiti from Council-owned buildings and only when a complaint from a resident or user of the facility was recorded. At that time Council's annual expenditure in removing graffiti from its own buildings was in the region of $140,000 per annum.

In 2002, the City of Casey initiated an aggressive Graffiti Management Program to eradicate graffiti from the municipality on public and private properties, and to minimise recurrence by implementing programs of eradication, education and enforcement. In 2001 / 02 (the first year of the program), Council allocated a total of $300,000, the majority of that expenditure was for the removal of existing graffiti, much of which was longstanding.

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Eradication

A toll-free graffiti reporting 24 hour hotline (1800 VANDAL or 1800 826 325) which is extensively publicised, allows residents to report the presence of graffiti which is, in most cases, removed in one working day. A proactive inspection service also authorises and enables the graffiti removal contractors to remove any graffiti identified by them throughout the course of the removal program.

Graffiti is removed from all Council assets and from all qualifying privately-owned residential, commercial, retail and industrial properties at no cost to the property owner.

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Education

The education component aims to reduce the occurrence of new graffiti through professional delivery of a program specifically designed by Council's youth workers and psychologists. Grade 5 and Year 8 students at all of Casey's primary and secondary schools are presented with the program each year. Every student since 2002 in Grades 5, 6 and Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 have participated in the graffiti education program. School principals are enthusiastic about the educational component of the program and report that the incidences of graffiti vandalism at schools have declined since the inception of the program. Students have also given positive feedback on the program.

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Enforcement

In the absence of state legislation, the City of Casey undertook the unprecedented step of making a local law in relation to graffiti, the first of its kind in Australia. The Casey Community Graffiti Prevention & Control of Aerosol Spray Paint Local Law No. 3 recognises that it as an offence to deface property. Under the law, it is an offence for persons under the age of 18 to possess aerosol spray paint on private property without the consent of the owner / occupier; to sell aerosol spray paint to persons under 18 years of age; and for sellers of aerosol spray paint to allow public access to aerosol spray paint.

The law assists Council and Police bring vandals to account and creates offences in regard to graffiti and the sale, storage and possession of spray paints. Seventy-five to eighty retailers sell aerosol spray paint in Casey and through a proactive communications strategy, traders are encouraged to comply with the non-accessible provisions voluntarily.

Regular inspections are undertaken to ensure compliance. Any trader found to be in breach of the local law would be issued with a fine.
Enforcement also includes a tag register and photo database of all graffiti removed, which includes the cost of removal, and that is made available to the police for potential prosecutions.

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Program Success

Casey's Graffiti Management Program is an innovative and award winning program that has been extremely well received by the business community and the general population. Eradicating graffiti has already improved the image of districts, encouraged a sense of pride, and improved perceptions of public safety.

Eighty four thousand, one hundred square metres of graffiti has been removed from April 2002 to
December 2005. In the six months to June 2004 there was a 70 per cent reduction in the actual amount of graffiti removed compared to the six months to June 2003. The amount of graffiti removed from Council buildings in the year before the program started was estimated to be 17,500 square metres. The removal rate has remained relatively static over the past 18 months, with an average of 1,100 square metres removed each month during this period.

In 2000 / 01, Council spent $140,000 on the removal of graffiti from Council buildings on an ad hoc basis. In 2004 / 05, $118,195 was spent on graffiti removal for not just Council buildings, but all qualifying residential, retail, commercial and industrial premises. The education program has resulted in 98 per cent of school students in Grades 5, 6 and Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 reporting that they now have a greater understanding of the consequences of graffiti.

The 24 hour hotline has proven very successful with an average of 145 calls being taken per month during 2005 / 06. With the toll free number being promoted at a range of Council / community events, on signage placed throughout the municipality and on a range of promotional material, it is anticipated that this strategy will support Council's commitment to remove graffiti within 24 hours of being reported.

This multifaceted approach to graffiti management not only considers the traditional issues of graffiti removal but presents an integrated approach to graffiti eradication, education and enforcement in partnership with community and key stakeholders.

There have been many achievements of the Graffiti Management Program, including:

100 per cent retailer compliance with the Local Law
70 per cent reduction in square metres of graffiti removed
100 per cent schools participating in the education program
Graffiti removal across the whole municipality for less than it was costing to remove graffiti only from Council assets.

All three strategies in combination contribute to the success of the program. It is a holistic program; no single strategy in isolation would be successful in this community. Casey's program succeeds primarily because of significant community support and participation.

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Reporting Graffiti - call 1800 VANDAL (1800 826 325) or email casey@ums.com.au

Council's Customer Service Officers are also able to pass on reports of vandalism to the above toll free number. Council's Customer Service can be contacted on 03 9705 5200.

For more information on the Casey Community Graffiti Prevention and Control of Aerosol Spray Paint Local Law Number Three or the Casey Graffiti Management Program contact the City of Casey Community Safety Department.

Community Graffiti Prevention and Control of Aerosol Spray Paint - Local Law No. 3