GOODBYE GRAFFITI AS VOLUNTEERS PAINT NSW CLEAN

The nation’s largest annual blitz on graffiti will take place at hundreds of sites across NSW today, as volunteers turn out in force for Graffiti Removal Day.

Attorney General Mark Speakman and NSW Minister for Police Troy Grant said up to 1,900 city and country graffiti-removal champions are ready to rejuvenate their communities one paint stroke at a time.

“Graffiti Removal Day demonstrates the power of community pride, and the tremendous work of volunteers will help NSW to look its best,” said Mr Speakman.

“This grass roots event shows vandals we love where we live and will not tolerate graffiti. Tagging someone else’s property without their permission is not street art, it’s a crime. It makes people feel unsafe and results in costly clean ups.”

Mr Grant said today’s Graffiti Removal Day volunteers will come from all walks of life.

“Graffiti affects everyone and there’s no such thing as a typical volunteer – you’ll see Scouts and Girl Guides scrubbing and painting alongside footy players, high-powered business people and retirees.”

All volunteers will be provided with free graffiti-removal equipment, protective gear and training at today’s events.

Last year more than 1,500 volunteers removed 20,596 square metres of graffiti (the size of two football stadiums) from 461 sites across NSW.

Graffiti Removal Day volunteers have cleaned nearly 94,000 square metres of graffiti since the event began in 2012, saving the government and private property owners an estimated $6.2 million.

The number of graffiti incidents reported to the NSW Police Force has fallen by 46 per cent over five years, from 9,932 to 5,407 each year.

“These figures are encouraging, but we cannot be complacent as not all graffiti is reported. We need the community to be our eyes and ears all year round, so if you see an ugly tag in your neighbourhood make sure you contact the Graffiti Hotline on 1800 707 125 ,” Mr Grant said.

For more information about today’s events, visit www.graffitiremovalday.org.au