Page 3847 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 30 November 2021
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is difficult to have graffiti removed from private fences that face on to public areas. Can you please outline TCCS’s responsibilities for graffiti removal in these circumstances?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Davis for his question. We take the issue of illegal graffiti very seriously. We have a graffiti management strategy in place to help reduce the incidences of graffiti vandalism in the territory. The five key elements include prevention through anti-graffiti paint coatings; rapid removal; diversion through 30 legal graffiti sites across the city—and this place is well attuned to where those are now!—community awareness and education; and also through legislation.
Importantly, under the Common Boundaries Act 1981 it is the responsibility of leaseholders to remove graffiti from their private property, and that includes fences even where the graffiti face public land.
MR DAVIS: Minister, what are the barriers to the government implementing a policy that would see them take graffiti off privately owned fences that face public land?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for his supplementary. We will continue to work together with private leaseholders to tackle the broad issue of graffiti vandalism across the territory in the ways I have outlined under our graffiti strategy. There are a range of things residents and householders can do to address graffiti. That includes painting over it; planting trees together with Transport Canberra and City Services, if appropriate, to create a barrier so the graffiti cannot be seen or does not happen in the first place; spraying with high-pressure hoses; using solvents that can be purchased from local hardware stores to remove graffiti; and a range of other methods.
TCCS is always happy to assist, and information is on the website if people need further information. But we will continue working together on public assets and with private leaseholders on their own properties to address this issue across the territory.
MR BRADDOCK: Minister, can you provide a rough estimate of the average cost of removing graffiti from a private fence?
MR STEEL: That really depends on the vandalism in question. If there is a particular piece Mr Braddock has in mind I am happy to come back to him., but it depends depend on what type of paint has been used and what measures need to be taken to prevent it occurring. We try to take a preventative approach to this issue. It is, of course, the leaseholder’s responsibility to finance that, although we have been working collaboratively on prevention programs, particularly through the establishment of murals both on public and private property, which means that vandals are less likely to undertake graffiti on those surfaces. We are always open to a proactive, collaborative approach, but it is the responsibility of leaseholders to undertake this type of work on their own assets.
Housing ACT—repairs
MR PARTON: My question is to the Minister for Housing and Suburban Development. Minister, the Housing website and total facilities management contract
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