Townsville City Council adopts new Graffiti Action Plan
Date published: 24 June 2021
Townsville City Council is combatting illegal graffiti across the city with the implementation of a new Graffiti Action Plan 2021 - 2024.
The plan has four priority areas that will help the Townsville community combat graffiti, including creating a prosocial response to graffiti, using partnerships to address illegal graffiti, creating public spaces that are aesthetically pleasing and well-activated, and creating a streamlined governance approach to illegal graffiti.
The Graffiti Action Plan calls for the four-priority approach to be carried out by different sections of Council as part of a collaborative process.
Community Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability Committee chairperson Maurie Soars said the plan would help Townsville reclaim public spaces that had typically been a target for graffiti.
“Graffiti is a scourge on our community, making our private and public property and spaces look unkempt. Graffiti also costs ratepayers to remove – in 2016-2020 alone Council spent more than $265,000 on cleaning up 1,500 pieces of graffiti,” Cr Soars said.
“When we spend money on this, it means we have less money to spend on proactive and community-based programs throughout our city.”
Cr Soars said the plan would be used to create a clear direction in the prevention and management of illegal graffiti across Townsville.
“Using the new Graffiti Action Plan, Council will work alongside stakeholders and the community to take action on illegal graffiti in our public spaces. We’ll also be encouraging the community to actively report illegal activity to reduce the occurrence of graffiti,” he said.
“The Graffiti Action Plan is setting the city up for a long-term reduction in illegal graffiti.”
Download the Graffiti Action Plan 2021 - 2024 on the Community Safety page.
