Cumberland Council has launched its Graffiti Removal Pilot Project offering free graffiti removal kits to local businesses to remove graffiti from their own shop fronts and buildings.
Mayor Greg Cummings said Council had heard the concerns of the community and business owners that increased graffiti and vandalism was contributing to negative perceptions of the community.
“Council has a dedicated Graffiti Removal Officer who does a great job cleaning shop fronts and Council managed buildings but they cannot be everywhere every day. By offering these free graffiti removal kits we want to empower business owners to remove graffiti as soon as they are targeted,” said Mayor Cummings.
“Graffiti is an issue that affects all of us and despite ongoing efforts it continues to place a substantial cost on Council and the community. We know Cumberland is a great place to live, work and visit and it’s important that the appearance of our area reflects that.
“Each SoSafe Community Graffiti Removal Kit contains specially designed heavy duty removal spray, wiping cloths, heavy duty brush, gloves, chemical resistant goggles, scourer pads, and a user guide and is given to businesses free of charge.
“Our Crime Prevention Officer has been busy connecting with local businesses and demonstrating how to use the kits. I’ve seen these kits in action by business owners and they are easy to use and they work very effectively to remove the graffiti when used straight away.
Maheswaran Varatharajah, owner of Impressive Cafe Pendle Hill said “it’s great to see Council empowering local businesses to be able to remove graffiti on their shopfronts and buildings. The kits worked so quickly I was surprised how easy it was to use and how quickly I could wipe the paint off. I hope other businesses make use of the free kits available.”
This pilot project is part of the Cumberland Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan 2018 – 2022.
