Rodney schools are being invited to ‘Paint Rodney Beautiful’ during the launch of ‘Paint New Zealand Beautiful Week' which runs from 24 April - 1 May.
With funding from the Ministry of Justice, Rodney District Council is offering five Rodney schools paint valued at $600 to create a mural in their community in a graffiti hotspot in order to deter future vandalism.
Graffiti Project Officer Roslyn Prictor says that the Council is looking forward to seeing colourful art works created at several locations across Rodney as a result of the initiative. All of the schools within Rodney have been invited to apply for funding and applications close on 1 July. If the project proves successful further funding may be made available later in the year.
The initiative is part of the Respect Rodney Graffiti Eradication Project which was launched in 2009 by Rodney District Council, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice.
The project aims to eradicate graffiti by working with local communities to report graffiti, record it and remove it by painting it over.
In Kumeu the Nor West Community Patrol has a team of volunteers with a water blaster and trailer who actively record graffiti around the town, report it and then remove graffiti on private property, with the permission of the property owner. Their work is supported by the Council and the Ministry of Justice who supply paint and brushes.
If the graffiti occurs on Council property, it is reported to the Council who then remove it. Pictures are taken of all types of graffiti which are then added to a graffiti database held by the Council which is available to the Police, who can use this as evidence in prosecutions if the offender is identified.
The Kumeu group is staffed by volunteers who are looking for extra helpers to keep the town tidy. The group is also sponsored by the Kumeu Resident and Ratepayers Association, the Kumeu Rotary Club, the Kumeu Lions Club, Craig Walker House Removals and a number of other local businesses. While the group can paint over graffiti, as volunteers their work is limited to graffiti removal rather than ‘beautification’ of private property.
In the north of Rodney, a graffiti response team (Da Crew) is also in action. Springboard is an alternative education provider in Warkworth working with young people to develop leadership skills and instil a sense of pride in their community so that young people can act as role models and work positively with at risk teens in their community.
The Springboard project is supported by the Council, Rodney Police, Child Youth and Family, the Ministry of Justice, Agriculture New Zealand, local churches and other community groups.
Like the volunteers in Kumeu, the Warkworth teens record incidents of graffiti, report this and then paint over the damage with the permission of the property owner. The pictures are added to the Council database so that the Police have access to these for evidential purposes.
The Council is also looking for volunteers throughout the District to work in other areas to help to keep their local communities graffiti free. Volunteers can donate as much or as little time as they have available and the Council will supply paint and protective clothing. Volunteers also receive training and support from the Council.
Graffiti Projects Officer Roslyn Prictor says that graffiti removal can have a big impact on people’s perceptions of whether an area is safe. “Making an area graffiti free makes people feel much safer about visiting that place during the day and at night.”
She encourages anyone interested in becoming a graffiti removal volunteer to contact the Council on 0800 425 5169 for more information. Incidents of graffiti on public property should also be reported to the Council so that these tags can be removed.