Frenchs Forest: Graffiti gangs’ spray can sprees set to be stopped above Warringah Rd, Forest Way intersection

A notorious high-profile graffiti vandalism hotspot, which has blighted one of the northern beaches’ busiest road junctions for three years, is set to be cleaned up.

Ugly graffiti at the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way, Frenchs Forest, on Monday. Transport for NSW has conformed that it will soon begin work to clean it up and prevent it from happening again. Picture: Jim O’Rourke

Authorities are finally set to start work to remove large, ugly and much complained about graffiti that has blighted one of the busiest road junctions on the northern beaches.

And after a vigorous community lobbying campaign, which began in mid-2021, special measures will be installed to stop graffiti criminals getting access to glass panels above the Warringah Rd and Forest Way intersection at Frenchs Forest.

Frustrated locals, Northern Beaches Council, Forest Ward Councillor Stuart Sprott and the Independent State MP for Wakehurst, Michael Regan, had been calling on the NSW Government to clean up — and halt — the vandalism.

Ugly graffiti at the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way, Frenchs Forest, on Monday. Picture: Jim O’Rourke

Mr Regan even had a one-one meeting with Roads Minister John Graham about the high profile graffiti.

In a campaign, highlighted by The Manly Daily, concerns had been raised that the graffiti was not only unsightly, but that spray paint gangs, with members as young as 13 years old, risked serious injury and death while defacing the pedestrian walkway above the intersection.

Residents reported seeing teens walking along a 60cm-wide ledge, 5 metres above the four-lane roadway, to daub illegal graffiti and tags on glass panels, installed to prevent people from falling onto the road.

Graffiti on glass panels along a pedestrian walkway above the multi-lane roadway at the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way at Frenchs Forest in March 14, 2023. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Cr Sprott successfully moved a motion at the council’s June 2022 meeting that it write to the government to highlight the dangers associated with graffiti and tagging on the walkway and ask transport authorities to investigate ways to make the area safe.

The council then repeatedly asked Transport for NSW, which manages the intersection, to clean up the site.

On Monday Mr Regan confirmed that he had received correspondence from TfNSW advising that work to install “perpendicular panels” to stop vandals accessing the ledge would begin on February 25.

The MP was also told that graffiti removal work would also occur.

“It was way overdue,” he said.

Access to a 60cm- wide ledge that graffiti vandals have been using to spray paint on to glass panels along a pedestrian walkway above the intersection, will be blocked by new panels. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

“The most important part, and what we’ve been asking for, is a permanent fix so that it not be repeated.

“Council staff had put forward some relatively inexpensive solutions to Transport for NSW, which finally got adopted by the government.

“But it took several meetings, including with the current Roads Minister John Graham, and the bureaucracy, to get a priority to get it done.

“The Minister couldn’t believe it was taking so long and had been escalated to his office.”

Frenchs Forest resident Shelley Allum has complained about the graffiti. Her daughter Caitlin, 9, presented a speech to her class at Frenchs Forest Public School about ways to get rid of the graffiti. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Resident Shelley Allum, who lives close to the graffiti hotspot, said she had confronted a group of teens, as young as 13 years old, before they ran off.

“They are here all the time, spraying the back and front of the panels.

Ms Allum said her nine-year-old daughter Caitlin was aware of the vandalism.

“She wrote a speech for her class at Frenchs Forest Public School about how she would stop the graffiti. She suggested anti-graffiti paint.”