The writing is on the wall – graffiti has no place in the City of Perth. Just ask our dedicated team of graffiti removalists! Over the past 12 months, more than 6,300 instances of tagging have been removed from all over the City, including East Perth, Northbridge, Nedlands and Crawley.
One of our busy graffiti removalists, Wayne, has been on the tools here in the City of Perth for nearly 20 years. Wayne is a professional painter by trade and uses his expertise to colour-match the paint he uses with the wall he’s working on. By also limiting the amount of chemicals used, he can minimise the impact of graffiti on City buildings.
Wayne says he enjoys the variety of his work and loves every minute. “There’s nothing more satisfying than completing a job and walking away from a freshly painted site,” Wayne said.
And speed is of the essence. When a King Street store was tagged in the early hours one morning, the owner didn’t expect it to be removed so quickly. “I was surprised to confirm by early afternoon the ugly graffiti on our building had been removed - congratulations to the City of Perth for a great service today.”
As part of its comprehensive Graffiti Management Plan, the City of Perth also works closely with WA Police, sharing weekly intel about tagging and other graffiti.
It’s a problem the City is tackling on multiple fronts, including a more innovative measure - professional street art. The City’s buildings and laneways feature murals from some of the world’s best street artists, some of which have recently gained international attention.
There is evidence to suggest that when street art is commissioned in heavily tagged areas, rates of graffiti in the area decline. A recent example is Via Torre in Northbridge, which was a renowned hot spot for tagging. After a local artist was commissioned to create a mural in the laneway, the amount of graffiti in the area dropped. The ‘Future Lost Worlds’ mural is a collaborative project involving the City of Perth, WA Police Graffiti Team, Mission Australia’s Youthbeat and the Salvation Army.
Each piece of street art is covered with a special coating to protect it from tagging and make it easier for the team to remove any unwelcomed additions.
If you see any graffiti in the City – let Wayne and the team know! Anyone who sees graffiti around the City can report it to City Watch on (08) 9461 6611.
The City of Perth acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people as the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters where Perth city is situated today, and pay our respect to Elders past and present.
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