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2:56AM Wednesday 15 October, 2008 Sunshine Coast weather Late thunder min 17° - max 26°

Graffiti turns Sunshine Coast into 'the Bronx'

12:00a.m. 18th July 2008

| By Rae Wilson

Graffiti turns Sunshine Coast into 'the Bronx'

Neighbourhood Watch coordinator John Harrison is disgusted at the amount of graffiti along the Sunshine Motorway. Photo: Jason Dougherty/177101

A drive along the Sunshine Motorway between Maroochydore and Kawana will leave little doubt about why the area has been labelled “the Bronx of the Coast”.

Yesterday, workers were painting and pressure cleaning graffiti tags along the stretch of road, but it seems new tags go up faster than they can be removed.

John Harrison, Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for Minyama, said he was shocked by the extent of graffiti within 5km of his home.

“It drives me insane every time I drive around and see new stuff every day,” he said. “My son and his family visit us each year and have always loved coming from the big city to what they see as our peaceful, safe and clean location.

“While driving around recently ... they suggested that it’s starting to look like Redfern and Blacktown around here ... ‘the Bronx’.

“The minute you go north on the motorway it’s splattered everywhere on walls, under bridges, on sound barriers.

“It’s very disappointing for ratepayers and I’m not proud when visitors come to the area.

“It’s getting worse and I just want to bring it to the attention of council and police so they’ll take a stand like the Gold Coast has.”

Mr Harrison said the Gold Coast council had a hotline to report new graffiti so a team of experts could obliterate it quickly. Ratepayers were even supplied with free graffiti removal kits.

“Their experience has proven the most effective way to deal with graffitists is to remove their artwork quickly until they decide their time and effort is (wasted),” Mr Harrison said.

“The council and police take photos of any new graffiti and keep digital files on the various ‘tags’ so that the culprits when caught are charged with any other pieces of their identified work. It would be a real deterrent if a graffitist got caught and hit with a $10,000 repair bill.”

The Sunshine Coast council website notes “an escalation in the amount of graffiti throughout Maroochy” and details a strategy formed with the Queensland Police Service last October.

Recent Comments

Add a comment
Posted by mollys from twin waters
on 18 July, 2008 at 6:41 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Just a though but why dont they have some cameras installed at strategic points that can monitor traffic as well as those fence lines. These culprits obviously come out late at night and draw these hideous symbols ! dont they realise they look ugly and we dont want to see them!
Posted by thefixer from mooloolaba
on 18 July, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Find the individuals and fine the parents as they should bear responsibility for not giving their children any idea of how to act in a civilised society.
It's all too common on the coast now. Feral parents breed feral kids. Name and shame would be a good idea.
Posted by Pikey from Rosemount
on 18 July, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Oh here we go...blame the parents, those that have been prevented from disciplining their own children.

Blame the bloody kids, they are the ones doing it, make them stand up and be responsible for their actions.
They should be made to spend all their free time at weekends cleaning it all up, I for one will offer my free time to stand there and make sure they do it.
Posted by Celtic from Caloundra/Kings Beach
on 18 July, 2008 at 1:01 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Plant bushes and vines to grow and hide these locations, along the most notable areas. It works in the U.S.
Posted by Jewel from Maroochydore
on 18 July, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'm with you Pikey, make the kids responsible clean it up, then they might think twice about graffiting in the first place.
I happened to see some graffiti the other day and thought that the person responsible did actually have quite a talent for art.........maybe another approach would be to somehow nurture this talent. Any thoughts??
Posted by LifeoRiley from Maroochydore
on 18 July, 2008 at 6:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Use the talents of these artists in a useful way with murals of nature, animals etc. Give these guys a chance to take time to create something worth keeping on these walls.

It will serve two purposes - hiding ugly fences and giving somewhere for these guys to do something useful. You will find that they will own the artwork and no one will overwrite tags on it.

Youth groups etc should know most of the graffitti guys or where to get the message across to do a mural. Anyone want to donate some cans of paint?? Have a competition for the best mural etc.

Do something positive instead of whinging about the kids and their parents.
Posted by nicho from noosaville
on 19 July, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The only thing that turns this area into the Bronx of the Sunshine Coast is hundreds of struggling families living below the poverty line. I've got a novel idea for the 'sit on your backside and whinge' retirees out there. Find a way of engaging all these underprivileged children in positive activities and your problem will be solved.. Oh that's right.. You don't care about the kids, just your pretty view. If the only way you give back to your community is by making sure no one ruins your little slice of paradise well then i think you need to take a good look in the mirror.
Posted by Adriftwaterbabe from Moffat Beach
on 25 July, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
While driving along Caloundra Rd my daughter five asked.
"Whats that writting say?"
She was referring to graffiti on the wooden sound barriers.
I said " I don't know I can't read it!"
I went on giving information
" It is called Graffiti big kids spray it on with paint.
Somepeople don't like it and think it looks messy."
Her reply made me think...
"Why It's just words!"
How true it is just WORDS!

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