Apply for graffiti grants

THE State Government is offering grants to help with the fight against graffiti.
Cranbourne MP Jude Perera recently announced applications for the State Government’s new Graffiti Clean-up Community Grants Program were open.
He encouraged the City of Casey to take advantage of the program with grants of between $5000 and $25,000 on offer.
The grants would fund initiatives in which councils worked with local communities to clean up graffiti.
“I warmly welcome this program as it will assist communities to improve the look of local neighbourhoods and will hopefully encourage the establishment of anti-graffiti initiatives well into the future,” Mr Perera said.
He said $600,000 would be available over the next two years for local graffiti clean-up projects.
“This funding is vital to fighting the graffiti scourge in our neighbourhoods as research has proven that the most effective way to prevent graffiti is through rapid removal,” he said.
The funding will help secure graffiti removal trailers and buy the materials required to establish and run community-based clean-up projects.
“This grants program will complement local initiatives already operating including the great work done by Corrections Victoria in using low-risk offenders to clean-up graffiti in neighbourhoods across the state,” he said.
The grants follow the recent introduction of tough new anti-graffiti laws in Victoria.
For the first time in Victoria, graffiti will be a specific offence under the new Graffiti Prevention Act, and police will have the power to search for and seize graffiti-related articles such as spray paint cans.
Grant applications close on 25 January.