Taggers to pay clean-up costs

By Sarah Schwager
GRAFFITI vandals may be forced to pay for their own mess after Casey Council ruled it would recover costs from convicted vandals for removing their graffiti.
The council will also write to the State Government to support the creation of a new offence category for graffiti.
At Tuesday night’s council meeting, Cr Steve Beardon said the recommendation would give the council the option of recouping its clean-up costs.
The council’s policy is to clean up graffiti as soon as it is detected, at the council’s cost.
Cr Beardon said if an offence category for graffiti vandals was put in place, the offenders would pay through the pocket to go to court.
“If they are under 18, courts will impose a debt on youth, making it almost impossible for them to apply for a credit card or loan,” he said.
Also on Tuesday night, councillors decided to consider paying to remove graffiti from private property along Casey’s rail corridors.
While the council pays to remove graffiti from private property that is visible from the street, it does not pay to remove it from property that backs on to the train lines.
The council will also write to the Government asking it to pay for the continued removal of graffiti from State Government controlled areas.