By NICOLE WILLIAMS
*PHOTOS TO BE PLACES ’COLLAGE’ STYLE*
General caption: News photographer Stewart Chambers visited Maria Cresent and Racecourse Road to photograph these graffiti tags.
Residents say holiday school children vandals are to blame…
GRAFFITI bandits are leaving their mark all over Pakenham and residents have had enough.
The school holidays have coincided with a huge increase of graffiti on fences, walls, signs, light posts and even letterboxes around Pakenham – mostly done with hard to remove texta.
A resident of Maria Crescent, who did not want to be named, said the past few weeks, which coincided with school holidays, had seen his residential area covered in tags.
“The last three weeks have been the worst,” he said.
“It’s getting beyond a joke.”
The streets around the Pakenham caravan park, Racecourse Road and Simon Drive have been particularly badly hit.
“On Friday night my letterbox was done and I tried on Saturday to clean it off,” the Maria Crescent resident said.
“It’s ink, texta, so I had to paint it. It takes me an hour to do what I shouldn’t have to do.”
The resident has taken the extreme measure of installing a CCTV camera in the hope of catching, or at least deterring, the vandals.
“I bought camera and put it up,” he said.
“I’m in my seventies and I need to get ladder out. Why should I have to do that?”
Residents complained about the increase of graffiti in Pakenham on the Pakenham Gazette Facebook page after the issue was raised by Kim Ryan.
Ms Ryan said the graffiti was “disgusting” and her front fence was a recent target.
“We just built a front fence and it feels like we’ve done it for someone to have somewhere to draw,” she wrote.
Many people agreed with the statement, suggesting other locations which have been vandalised including Racecourse Road, Fallingwaters Estate, local playgrounds and Main Street.
Cardinia Shire Council’s Manager Risk, Emergency and Community Safety Myles O’Reilly said graffiti vandalism was illegal and residents could make a difference by reporting it.
“Graffiti vandalism is an anti-social behaviour; it is illegal and should not be tolerated,” he said.
“Council encourages residents to take photos and report the matter to police, as this can help to identify the offender.”
Mr O’Reilly said the council also offered free graffiti removal kits which were suitable for painted surfaces including glass, Colorbond and rendered surfaces.
“Council also provides an information sheet on graffiti removal on request,” he said.
“Bare wood fences are an attractive area for taggers.
“There are no easy answers, however residents can try growing a creeper or vine over the fence or use a darker, glossy paint which is easier to clean.”
Residents who want a free graffiti removal kit can contact the council on 1300 787 624, email mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au or drop in to council offices or local police stations.
