Thursday, 22 March 2018

The Gippsland community is being urged to work with their local Council to apply for a community-based grant to combat local graffiti hotspots.

Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing said today that the latest round of Graffiti Prevention Grants have opened and that funding of up to $30,000 was available.

The grants provide funding for councils to team up with community groups, local police, schools and local businesses to deliver anti-graffiti projects.

Applicants are encouraged to develop a comprehensive approach to combating graffiti vandalism at a local-level.

Some of the projects that may be funded include:
• environmental design initiatives to improve natural surveillance
• adoption of anti-graffiti coating or graffiti resistant materials
• initiatives to cover walls vulnerable to graffiti vandalism such as vertical gardens and landscaping, murals and public art
• place-based activities that encourage space activation and community ownership to care for an area which is a graffiti hotspot
• graffiti removal activities and resources to support broader graffiti prevention efforts
• anti-graffiti education initiatives on laws relating to the sale of aerosol paint cans

Since July 2015, the government has allocated nearly $1.4 million towards 72 anti-graffiti projects across Victoria.

The grants are part of the government’s Community Crime Prevention Program, which helps promote community safety and prevent crime across the state.

Applications for the latest round of Graffiti Prevention Grants open on 5 March and close on Friday 20 April 2018. Further information is available at crimeprevention.vic.gov.au/graffitigrants.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing:

“These Graffiti Prevention Grants provide a really important opportunity for local community groups to partner with Councils to develop and deliver improvements to eyesores and graffiti hotspots.”
 
“These projects make a real difference to the look and feel of the community, and go a long way towards a greater sense of public safety and pride of place.”