Page 1800 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 May 2005
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have happened is that the government will have shifted the financial burden elsewhere and it will appear in somebody else’s books.
If Mr Stanhope is going to be soft on graffiti, if he is going to be sympathetic to graffiti vandals and treat graffiti as just a joke, indeed a political joke, then he must be responsible for removing graffiti from private, as well as public property. You cannot have it both ways, Chief Minister. If we look at the removal at graffiti, the Stanhope government’s approach actually identifies that the rapid removal of illegal graffiti is an important and effective strategy in prevention and reduction.
In conclusion, we have a territory that is adorned with graffiti. We see a declining standard, a government soft on prosecuting graffiti crime, young graffiti offenders not deterred from creating graffiti—that is, from committing an offence—and a government which is not prepared to accept responsibility to clean graffiti off private property, not willing to protect private property. We see a government that has failed to address graffiti in the ACT. We must see direct action from this government to take on this insidious scourge.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella-Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Urban Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (4.47): I move:
Omit all words after “notes”, substitute”:
(a) the Government is keenly aware of the issues associated with graffiti in the ACT and has taken a pro-active role through the development of the ACT Graffiti Management Strategy released in August 2004;
(b) this Strategy is the first of its kind for the ACT and represents an innovative and comprehensive approach to the management of graffiti;
(c) the Strategy addresses graffiti through 5 key elements—prevention, removal, diversion, community awareness and education, and legislation;
(d) the establishment of the Graffiti Management Steering Committee in February 2005 and the appointment of a Graffiti Coordinator to work with the Committee, to implement key actions of the Strategy and liaise with young people and stakeholder interest groups;
(e) a successful graffiti art workshop program was established in 2004-2005 in partnership with Arts and Recreation Training ACT, with funding support from Urban Service’s Community Partnership Program;
(f) 15 legal graffiti art sites have been identified on public assets and another 15 sites are currently being assessed for their suitability for legal graffiti art;
(g) approximately $1 million dollars is provided annually for an ongoing graffiti removal program from public and private assets. Of this about $780,000 is spent on graffiti removal from assets within urban open spaces and $212,000 on removal of graffiti from private assets in public view;
(h) the Graffiti Hotline (6207 2500) was established last year to coordinate all requests for the removal of graffiti from public and private assets; and
(i) a community awareness, involvement and education campaign targeting various elements of the Strategy is also being implemented.
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