By Jim Mynard
CASEY Council is set to expand efforts to finally get rid of graffiti from the municipality.
This includes plans to clean the mess off buildings along the rail corridor and forcing vandals to pay for removing graffiti.
The council will also lobby the State Government to adopt a similar approach and to create a new offence category for graffiti.
However, Edrington Ward councillor Brian Hetherton attacked Premier Steve Bracks for a letter Mr Bracks sent in response to a Casey request for help with its graffiti campaign.
Cr Hetherton said the Premier’s letter was condescending to the City of Casey.
He said the council asked for money to help clean up the mess on government property along the railway corridor, but got nothing.
“We have given the government a solution that works in getting rid of graffiti and all his response does is commend the council for its efforts.
“We asked the government to do more by cleaning up the mess.
“The Premier said graffiti was a complex issue but we have shown that there is a solution; why doesn’t the government come to the party on this?”
Mayfield Ward councillor Steve Beardon said one of the problems with graffiti along the railway corridor was that it was on privately owned walls that backed on to the corridor.
Casey chief executive Mike Tyler said the guideline for the council’s program was that graffiti be removed from property visible from roads.
“The railway corridor was first thought to be a government responsibility but the council could vote to extend the guideline to cover graffiti visible from a carriage.
“This would extend the council’s responsibility but would be an expensive exercise.
“However, if the council feels strongly about the program then it can do it,” Mr Tyler said.
Cr Beardon said Victorian and South Australian police reports said people over the age of 18 caused most graffiti vandalism.
“We have a hard core responsible for this damage but we have an opportunity to set an example on how to stop it.
“Casey should take the lead in the eradication of this problem.
“We need to send the message that if they do it they will pay for it,” he said.
Casey mayor Kevin Bradford said vandals would be made responsible for their actions.
He said the council would work in partnership with Victoria Police to arrest graffiti vandals through the use of its graffiti database and would prepare an appropriate cost estimate for offending individuals on a casebycase basis.
He said the council owned an extensive database of graffiti patterns that would help in the apprehension of offenders.