5:51p.m. 5th October 2008

| Mark Bode

Graffiti abounds around the Sunshine Coast....Photo: Chris McCormack

Mike Lollback knows the fight against graffiti taggers will be long and hard.

As Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s community services manager, Mr Lollback devotes a large slice of his time to tackling the problem.

Having investigated anti-graffiti initiatives around Australia and the world, he has come to the conclusion that there is not one method that is 100% successful.

Mr Lollback said the council was endeavouring to amalgamate what worked best elsewhere and adapt it to the Coast. It has set up an internal working group to take on graffiti vandals, with a timeline currently being developed for the removal of graffiti.

The group was consulting with other government agencies in a bid to align services and better confront the problem.

“From our point of view, creating partnerships with other agencies is key,” he said.

Mr Lollback said the council was also forging partnerships with Energex, Main Roads and the police.

It also had representatives on the south-east Queensland regional graffiti taskforce while community safety committees – which, in part, were charged with dealing with graffiti – were being rolled out throughout the Coast.

Mr Lollback said it was vital the community got more involved in the fight, saying people needed to have a better understanding of the problem and had to report incidences of graffiti.

He said the council was looking at establishing legal graffiti walls but admitted the measure was not always successful.

“There’s conflicting information on its success,” he said. “In some areas, it’s been extremely successful while in other areas it’s created territory battles.”

Mr Lollback said the Sunshine Motorway was currently the worst spot for graffiti but in general there was not one area targeted.

In August, state parliament passed a new law that allows graffiti to be removed quicker. The Graffiti Removal Powers Amendment Bill allows authorised government and council officers to remove graffiti that is in a public place or readily visible public place.

Police minister Judy Spence said graffiti was often on industrial sites and deserted properties, meaning it was sometimes difficult to get in contact with owners.

“In recognition of these problems I have extended the application of graffiti removal powers to any graffiti readily visible from a public place,” she said.

Graffiti removal has cost Coast ratepayers more than $44,000 over the past four months, with more than 900sq m of graffiti removed since January 1.

It is estimated that south-east Queensland councils removed about 108,000 pieces of graffiti in 2007-08 and will spend more than $5.2 million combating taggers in 2008-09.

More on government anti-graffiti activity on the Coast