Melbourne council seeks state reimbursement for graffiti removal costs

The City of Casey council in Melbourne is urging the state government to reimburse it for the significant costs incurred in removing graffiti from state-owned property. Last financial year, the council spent over $780,000 on graffiti management, with nearly a third of the 7,375 removal requests targeting state assets like street signs and rail infrastructure.

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We're removing 80 per cent of the graffiti within one day.

Council contractors frequently end up cleaning graffiti on state responsibility, a situation Mayor Michelle Crowther described as "pointless." She stated, "Council is funding the removal of graffiti on state assets, and we would like the state government to refund the investment we are making." Crowther emphasized the need for the state to "take responsibility for their assets and act in a timely manner to remove graffiti."

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It's pointless. I mean it's not even art. It's vandalism, pure and simple.

Casey is one of Melbourne's largest and fastest-growing municipalities. Removal requests have steadily increased over the past five years, which the council attributes to better reporting and heightened community concern. Unlike many other municipalities, Casey's contractors also clean graffiti from private properties at no cost to owners. The online reporting platform Snap Send Solve noted an 11% increase in graffiti reports across the state last financial year.

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Council is funding the removal of graffiti on state assets, and we would like the state government to refund the investment we are making.