Spray can ban

CARDINIA Shire Council has stepped up its fight against graffiti, banning the sale of aerosol spray paint to minors.
Civic leaders voted to amend council’s graffiti laws at Monday night’s meeting, making it illegal for retailers to sell spray paint to those aged under 18.
Central Ward councillor Brett Owen said the move was a big step in council’s bid to eradicate one of the town’s biggest eyesores.
“As we’ve grown we’ve seen a significant increase in graffiti,” he said.
“Graffiti is a crime and it does affect people’s perception of the community and their personal safety.”
Cr Owen said the ban would hopefully decrease the amount of funds the council spent cleaning-up after vandals. “During the last 12 months the Cardinia Shire Council has spent $40,000 cleaning up graffiti on council owned property.
“This doesn’t include private property,” he said.
Cr Owen said local laws now required traders to store all aerosol spray paint containers in a locked cabinet or behind the counter, and made it an offence for minors to possess them.
Traders have backed the council’s bid to wipe out graffiti in the area.
Ritchies Supa IGA Pakenham store manager Ben Vandenberg hoped the laws would help decrease the amount of money and time his business spent carrying out graffiti clean-ups.
Mr Vandenberg said the Main Street store had been forced to repaint its shop front on too many occasions.
“In the three years that I’ve been here it’s been done 30 times,” he said.
Pakenham Business Group president Greg Miller said graffiti was an issue that affected all retailers and not just those in the Main Street.
He said the bans were likely to be well received by traders.
“Anyone with a shop front who has been affected by young people who do this (graffiti) would welcome it,” he said.
“Anything that is a control measure is good.”
Cr Owen said the bans were part of council’s graffiti policy, which was starting to roll out after being adopted a few months ago.
The policy has seen the implementation of a graffiti and damage prevention program which has received $450,000 in funding from the Federal Government.
The program has seen an educational program set up in schools, including a diversionary program for young offenders.
It also offers the shire’s residents and businesses free graffiti removal kits and paint vouchers to help repair vandalism and graffiti.
Cr Owen said council would soon employ a dedicated community safety officer to assist with the implementation of the graffiti policy, including the roll-out of graffiti clean-up kits.
The officer would also work with local traders to ensure they comply with local laws, he said.