Melbourne council City of Yarra considers graffiti tours while cutting back on removal

AN inner-city council may promote “graffiti tours” under a controversial plan that would see municipal staff no longer removing graffiti from most private property.

Richmond Graffitti

AN inner-city council may promote “graffiti tours” under a controversial plan that would see municipal staff no longer removing graffiti from most private property.

The City of Yarra says that community sentiment towards some graffiti is more positive, and it was “seen as an integral part of the social fabric and urban character” of the area.

Yarra councillors will on Monday consider a new strategy that includes graffiti tours as a nod to the “benefits” of the practice that many consider to be pure vandalism.

“Council acknowledges the considerable interest in Yarra’s street art and graffiti and will support its promotion where appropriate,” said the Graffiti Management Framework 2015-19.

But Fitzroy resident Trevor Dobbyn, who is constantly forced to remove graffiti from his garage door, said staging tours was a ridiculous idea.

“It’s a green light to vandals to go and put graffiti all over your house,” he said.

Catering business owner Sam Conti said he was sick of the damage caused by “graffiti scoundrels”.

“They’re such a pain, they tag anywhere and everywhere they can,” he said.

“It looks ugly and council should commit to stopping the tagging.”

Kate Perkins in front of her rental house where her landlord commissions artists to help deter tagging.

The City of Yarra could reduce the funding provided for graffiti removal.

Under the new strategy, council officers will remove graffiti from private property only in very limited circumstances, citing escalating costs and “the problem of managing increasing resident expectations” about removal.

“Council will prioritise support to private property owners through community education and urban design advice that avoids and reduces incidents of graffiti,” said a report before councillors.

However, Yarra will continue to provide residents with paint vouchers and graffiti removal kits to get rid of tags themselves.

And graffiti will still be removed from council property, with priority given to graphics and remarks that are degrading, racist and sexist.

The report said there were complexities around defining graffiti and street art as “merely illegal or legal”, but Melbourne City Council would have none of that.

“Art is art: tagging is vandalism,” said Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.

“We will not be changing our graffiti clean up strategy.”

A Yarra spokeswoman said there was no evidence that graffiti tours encouraged illegal graffiti.

“The mural art treatment tours idea is only a proposal at this stage and would be run by third parties, not council, and would be modelled on the City of Melbourne’s successful tours,” she said.

“Yarra is well renowned for its local and international street art culture, which has a positive impact on the local environment and discourages the proliferation of unsightly and costly graffiti.”

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