By Melissa Grant
PAKENHAM traders want to free the town’s central business district ofthe graffiti scourge which has long plagued shop fronts and public property.
Pakenham Business Group members say the clean up will brighten the town and improve people’s perceptions of community safety.
The Cardinia Shire Council will remove almost 1000 incidences of graffiti across the shire before the end of October.
It will then provide free graffiti removal kits and paint vouchers to ensure the town’s retail heartland remains free of graffiti.
PBG president Sue Day said traders could not wait for the completion of the blitz.
“Once it’s cleaned-up it will brighten the place up,” she said.
“The community does not like graffiti at all, and to have it all cleaned up and followed up with access to free removal kits and paint vouchers is a great way to help local business owners.
“We will be able to remove any new incidents of graffiti very quickly, which is great because graffiti is a constant thing and we always have to be on our guard.”
PBG secretary Glad Fish said the clean up would improve the look of the town and improve residents’ perceptions of community safety.
“Pakenham is such an alive town to live in and have a business in,” she said. “We have to move forward to retain its friendly country atmosphere and this doesn’t include accepting graffiti.”
Cardinia Shire Central Ward councillor Brett Owen, chair of the Cardinia Shire graffiti reference group, said it was important that residents supported the council’s “report, remove and reduce” graffiti campaign.
“We encourage the community to join with the council and business operators and take advantage of the free graffiti removal kits and paint vouchers pilot project as soon as they are available,” he said. “Council is also maintaining a database of tags and working effectively with local police to identify graffitists, so information provided by the community is always helpful in the fight against graffiti.”
Fellow Central Ward councillor Kate Lempriere said, although the initiative was shire-wide, it would greatly impact Pakenham’s central business district.
“Council’s graffiti audit identified that 48 per cent of all graffiti in Cardinia Shire occurs in the Pakenham Township. So the clean up is going to have a far reaching impact and improve the appearance of the Pakenham central business district,” she said.
For information on the campaign or free removal kits and paint vouchers after the shire-wide clean up, call 1300 7878 624 or visit www.cardinia. vic.gov.au.
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