Woollahra Council removes unauthorised graffiti from Allegra Spender campaign team

A federal member’s campaign team is under fire for “defacing public property” in its latest advertising strategy, as tensions heat up on the hustings in Sydney’s east.

A federal member’s campaign team has been slammed for “painting over the rules” in its latest advertising strategy, as tensions heat up on the hustings in Sydney’s east.

Volunteers campaigning for the re-election of incumbent Wentworth member Allegra Spender have quite literally taken to the streets, with the teal independent’s name appearing pressure washed onto pavements across Sydney’s east.

While at first glance the advertisements appear spray-painted, they were done using a method known as “reverse graffiti”, which cleans dirt off of the pavement.

However, the novel strategy has left at least one council disgruntled, with Woollahra Council deploying a team of workers to remove the stencils almost as quickly as they appeared.

On Friday, Deputy Mayor Sean Carmichael confirmed nine of the stencils had been removed overnight with locals urged to advise the council of further locations.

The pressure-washed stencils have been appearing throughout Randwick and Waverley

Cr Carmichael said despite not using paint, the stencils were still “in substance an act of graffiti,” stating the “defaced public property” was “unacceptable”.

“While it is a bit of a gray zone, from an environmental and sustainable standpoint, it will still last way past the election and the average bystander is not going to be able to remove it with a bucket of soapy water.”

Ocean Ave at Edgecliff with the graffiti on Thursday night.

“It is, in substance an act of graffiti on public property, it is quite difficult to remove without industrial grade machinery and it is unacceptable.”

A council spokesman also confirmed an email had been sent to Ms Spender’s office, regarding the works.

“We can confirm an email was sent to Allegra Spender’s office early this morning, requesting that no spray painting or stencilling of election campaign materials is placed on public infrastructure,” the spokesman said.

The stencils have also appeared throughout Waverley with a spokesman for Waverley Council confirming it will be removed at the expense of ratepayers.

Wentworth Liberal candidate Ro Knox gives an address at her campaign launch party on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Liberals candidate Ro Knox, who is running to reclaim the former blue ribbon seat, said the other side was “painting over the rules”.

“Our streets shouldn’t be used for unauthorised political graffiti, especially by someone who claims to stand for accountability and the environment, integrity means playing by the rules not painting over them,” she said.

It comes as her own campaign posters have been targeted, with Cr Carmichael filing a police report after several in Potts Point had been defaced with a sickening display of swastikas.

A defaced campaign poster of Ro Knox.

In a speech at her campaign launch party on Thursday, Ms Knox remarked “our banners and corflutes eye being torn down in record numbers”.

Despite the repeated targeting, Ms Knox remains unfazed as she forges ahead, telling her captive audience her and Ms Spender were “neck-to-neck” in the polls.

“We have heard a lot about how much the Teals have done while in government, but the reality is not one private member Teal bill has been passed,’’ she said.

“We don’t have the pretty graphs of the Teals but we have work ethic, we have the engagement of young people. We are so much more tenacious and a lot more fun to be around.

“The Teals’ days are numbered.”

When approached for comment, a spokesman for the Allegra Spender campaign said the council’s response was “disappointing”.

“The messages are created with water pressure, that actually cleans dirt off the footpath, they are temporary and fade away naturally,” the spokesman said.

“It’s disappointing that the Liberal Party-controlled council is misusing ratepayers’ money to remove a political opponent’s messages.”

Originally published as Woollahra Council removes unauthorised graffiti from Allegra Spender campaign team