Subscribe to RSSManukau Council Slashes Graffiti By 70%
Manukau City is claiming success in dealing with the menace of graffiti –which is a major talking point here, with our frustration at the constant defacing of the rail corridor.
The council says that by focussing on the issue, it has reduced the incident of graffiti by 70% in the last two and a half years.
The Manukau Beautification Trust has been publishing the progress of its “paint out team” and and says the problem is finally dropping dramatically.
A three - year project launched in 2008, saw the council focusing on privately -owned commercial premises and utility facilities.
The aim of the taskforce was to establish a partnership between the council, business owners, and utility operators to eradicate graffiti vandalism on commercial premises. The project is also funded by the Ministry of Justice, as a part of STOP (Stop Tagging Our Place) programme.
Then a year ago, the council stepped up its campaign with a snitch service. Any resident of Manukau spotting a tagger defacing a wall or fence can call up 0800 STOP TAGS (0800 7867 8247) and report details of the tagger, his/her address, or the vehicle involved. Alternatively, taggers can be reported by email ([email protected]) or by text to 0276 56 0008.
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Councillor and former athletic star, Dick Quax said he was sure many school students, neighbours, parents and business-owners hadthis information but didn’t know who to contact.
The council was spending $100,000 annually on graffiti investigation, in addition to its graffiti eradication, education and beautification initiatives.
Mayor Len Brown, confirming the 70% reduction, says that behind the drive to “rid ourselves of graffiti and to be clean and tidy” is a more important community theme.
“We are defining our community’s boundaries of responsibility. We are making it clear what we will and will not accept in our community and that united we can deal with these problems, overcome them, and add to our pride and our positive perception of our city.
“These boundaries also set social parameters for our young people to see, acknowledge and accept. We have complimented these boundaries of behaviour by stating a clear vision for achievement for our young people based around a number of aspirational markers.
“We have taken a whole of community approach by emphasising education and working with the educational community in ensuring the very best of opportunities for our children.”
Good on you Manukau.
While most councils are trying to do something about the issue, let’s hope they all take a leaf out of Manukau’s recipe for reducing the problem, now that is is having such success.
More info: Manukau city council’s website on how to deal with graffiti
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1 Comments
While nothing is done about vandalism in the rail corridor (which is probably the last place in Auckland where it isn’t), the problem will remain self perpetuating. Seeing speed and other warning signs and signals tagged must surely be a safety issue. Surely with minimal monitoring in the worst hit areas and God knows that’s just about all of Auckland’s rail corridor offenders will be caught and hopefully punished. Meanwhile a unrelenting effort has to be made to paint out graffiti.