An anti-graffiti policy would be introduced in Melbourne by lord mayor candidate Arron Wood
Graffiti would be removed from city homes within two days under a policy lord mayor candidate Arron Wood wants to introduce. Here are the other ways he wants to clean up Melbourne.
Victoria
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Graffiti would be removed from inner city properties within 48 hours under a council candidate’s clean-up plan.
Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood also wants to overhaul the City of Melbourne’s waste management system by increasing the number of recycling hubs and waste compactors.
Mr Wood, who is running for lord mayor, said graffiti tagging cost ratepayers $800,000 a year to clean up.
“Melbourne is renowned for its street art, but someone taking a black Texta to a building or seat or spray painting a tag on one of our beautiful street trees isn’t art, it’s vandalism,” he said.
Mr Wood said that if elected, he would ensure that tagging was removed from properties within 48 hours compared with the four or five days it can take under the current system.
“In the last few years there’s been a big increase in graffiti tagging and reporting of illegal rubbish dumping,” he said.
“We need to get the small things right, the basic services that ratepayers and small business owners are consistently concerned about.”
The Deputy Lord Mayor has won the backing of Ratepayers Victoria, with president Dean Hurlston saying Mr Wood wasn’t beholden to “vested big business interests”.
“He understands the issues facing every ratepayer, resident and small business, and he fundamentally want to revitalise the City of Melbourne,” he said.
Team Wood’s policy includes doubling the city’s waste compactors to 10 and increasing the number of recycling hubs from 14 to 20 “to create a more sustainable waste and recycling system and reduce waste truck movement on city streets.”
He would also do organic and food waste processing solutions in apartment towers, and support existing composting programs in lower density suburbs.
And work with the Environmental Protection Authority and state government to increase enforcement of fines for littering in the city.
Mr Wood took a swipe at Lord Mayor Sally Capp’s policies such as creating a local version of New York’s High Line Park and extending the free tram zone.
“Our residents and ratepayers want us to focus on issues that we can control, where we can make a difference, and reform policies that improve the running of the city in a sustainable, efficient way,” he said.
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