Graffiti Action Day 2011

A day of community action to remove graffiti – Graffiti Action Day – is on again this year following the outstanding success of the inaugural event in 2010, NSW Attorney General John Hatzistergos announced today.

Graffiti Action Day 2011 is a community-based day of action that will involve hundreds of community minded volunteers, community groups and local councils.

Mr Hatzistergos said the joint initiative with Keep Australia Beautiful resulted in an impressive 4178 square metres of illegal graffiti removed from public and private property across NSW last year.

“Last year’s inaugural graffiti action day was a huge success, pulling together 800 volunteers to remove a total of 4178 square metres of graffiti from more than 230 sites,” Mr Hatzistergos said.

“This year we are hoping to do even better and I would urge any community-minded individuals to sign up to lend a hand on May 15.”

CEO of Keep Australia Beautiful, Peter McLean, said Graffiti Action Day 2011 will be held on Sunday May 15.

“Graffiti Action Day puts the power back in the hands of the community, and everyone from community groups to businesses and local government can get involved,” Mr McLean said.

“While the event is open to everyone, this year we’re focusing our efforts on hotspots for graffiti vandalism as identified by police data so we can have the biggest possible impact.”

Keep Australia Beautiful NSW will work to establish partnerships with local councils to jointly fund graffiti removal and prevention activities as part of Graffiti Action Day 2011.

Funding will be used to remove graffiti and also implement other methods such as landscaping, which are known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).

CPTED is proven to be an effective anti-graffiti strategy. Graffiti Action Day and CPTED are important components of the NSW Government’s comprehensive Graffiti Action Plan.

To volunteer for Graffiti Action Day 2011 email graffitiactionday@kabnsw.org.au or visit www.kabnsw.org.au for more information. All volunteers will be briefed in techniques for safe and effective graffiti removal and provided with personal protection equipment and refreshments.

Media Contacts:

Keep Australia Beautiful Communications Manager: Ilona Marchetta 0416 156 136, 9633 3380

NSW Attorney General, John Hatzistergos: Adam Bell 0448 302 533

GRAFFITI ACTION DAY 2011

MEDIA FACT SHEET

WHAT?

Graffiti Action Day 2011 is aKeep Australia Beautiful NSW initiative in partnership with the NSW Government to promote a community approach to tackling graffiti vandalism.

WHY?

Graffiti vandalism is a significant problem for many areas in NSW with some councils spending very large sums of money on clean up efforts.

Graffiti Action Day is a chance to:

• Get the community involved in the removal of graffiti at a local level

• Educate councils and communities about good graffiti removal and on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

• Help non-government and community repair damage caused by graffiti

HOW?

Volunteers, businesses, individuals, community groups, schools and anyone who would like to volunteer their time will be assigned to sites.

Graffiti will be removed using a number of methods including:

• Cleaning off with green cleaning products, brushes and water

• Painting over graffiti for stubborn surfaces which may be difficult to clean

To register your interest in participating or to nominate a site please email your name and contact details to graffitiactionday@kabnsw.org.au

Top 40 sites are eligible for additional assistance for work such as landscaping carried out as part of a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design strategy.

WHEN?

Graffiti Action Day, Sunday May 15, 2011