Council reveals Townsville’s graffiti vandalism hot spots and the cost to ratepayers
As the city battles to reduce graffiti vandalism, see the hot spot suburbs, what public assets were being targeted, and the cost to ratepayers.
Townsville
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Townsville’s sporting clubs, businesses and residents are turning to Heron Addison for help cleaning up the scourge of graffiti which continues to plague the city.
Since May 2022, the operations manager for Addison’s Universal Mitre 10 has handed out free Graffiti Removal Kits in exchange for vouchers issued by Townsville City Council (TCC) after it receives a report and photos of the damage.
From what she hears from people coming into her store, and what she sees driving around the city, the city’s “annoying” graffiti problem is growing worse.
“They’re definitely frustrated about the graffiti problem, but they’re also grateful that the council is coming up with initiatives like this to help out,” Ms Addison said.
“We’re all hard working citizens in this town and we don’t deserve to have our property and our businesses defaced like that.”
Council defines graffiti as the destruction of property caused by spraying, writing, drawing, marking or otherwise applying paint or another marking substance, or scratching or etching, without the consent of the owner of the property.
According to TCC’s Graffiti Action Plan 2021–2024, which provides a clear direction in the prevention and management of illegal graffiti, more than $265,000 was spent removing more than 1,500 pieces of graffiti from TCC assets between 2016 and 2020.
While there was no recent data for the total number of graffiti related crimes, during the 2016-20 time period, graffiti incidences remained steady, between 1700 and 2000 per year.
Revealed to the Community Health, Safety And Environmental Sustainability Committee last week, the latest quarterly update of the Graffiti Action Plan between October and December 2022 recorded 143 illegal graffiti removals from council assets, costing $21,665.
Data sourced from Townsville City Council Property Services for 2022 reveals that Kirwan had the highest number of graffiti incidences on council assets with 49 - more than double the 19 recorded in Annandale and Mundingburra, in a tie for second place.
They were followed by Townsville City (18), Rasmussen (16), Aitkenvale (15), North Ward (15) and Garbutt (14).
Townsville City topped the previous year’s suburb list with 68 incidents of graffiti.
The action plan also listed the top five graffitied public assets between 2016 and 2020: toilet blocks (417), park vicinities (226), buildings (179), roads (165), and bridges (90) - costing almost $180,000 to clean.
The primary illegal graffiti types included tags (usually the artist’s name or identifier), scratching or etching on a surface and throw ups (different colours used).
A TCC spokesman said they were engaging with Queensland Police, and other asset owners such as Ergon, Transport and Main Roads, Telstra and Queensland Rail to place a higher priority on the removal of graffiti from their assets.
He said several graffiti-combating initiatives were underway, including the establishment of a TCC team that worked proactively to protect council assets from graffiti and reactively to remove it when it does occur.
“(We’re) working with sporting clubs and other community organisations on ways to prevent graffiti from becoming a problem on their buildings. If organisations want to be involved, they can contact the council on 13 48 10,” he said.
“(There are) two graffiti walls installed at Murray and Riverway for budding artists, and council has a Legal Street Art Program for emerging artists.
“Council’s Snap Send Solve app can be used to report to graffiti, potholes, mowing or other council-related issues. The app GPS-locks the location so Council crews can address the issue.”
An updated Graffiti Removal Kit was expected to be announced by TCC in the coming weeks.
To report graffiti, visit www.townsville.qld.gov.au/community-support/community-safety/safe-places
Originally published as Council reveals Townsville’s graffiti vandalism hot spots and the cost to ratepayers