Telstra must clean up act

By Lia Bichel
A TELSTRA-owned graffiti plagued sub-station continues to be the centre of unwanted attention in Brookland Greens Estate.
“(Telstra) is just totally irresponsible,” said Mayfield Ward councillor Steve Beardon.
“Within the same complex, Optus cleaned their structure and it has remained graffiti free for months. Come on Telstra, clean up your act.”
The frustrated councillor said the City of Casey spends a substantial amount of money each year to keep the area clean and has invested in a 24-hour graffiti removal system, which allows for free removal of graffiti on residents’ fences, houses and businesses.
Cr Beardon added that the council would grant Telstra the same privilege; however, the communications giant has failed to cooperate, refusing to permit them entrance to the property, which is secured by a barbed-wire fence and half a dozen padlocks.
“The City of Casey invests a lot of money in keeping the area clean, and here is the sub-station, sticking out like a sore thumb.”
Telstra spokeswoman Jane Oakley told the News last month that instead of painting over the substation, Telstra would prefer to work with youth groups and run a competition to have young people paint a mural on the substation. She was unavailable for comment this week, but Telstra spokesman Paul Crisp said Telstra is currently working with a Cranbourne organisation to carry out this plan.
Cr Beardon said this idea is useless as the City of Casey has a zero tolerance graffiti policy in which any type of graffiti, including murals on buildings, are not allowed.
“They are just out of touch with our policies,” he said. “They need a permit for a graffiti mural, and we (council) are going to say no. They just need to clean it. Time has run out for Telstra.”
When the News confronted Mr Crisp about Casey policy, he said, Telstra would consider other alternatives to resolve the issue. “We need a resolution one way or another.”
Cr Beardon said a useful option for Telstra would be to invest in a community paintbrush mural endorsed by the not-for-profit organisation Graffiti Hurts Australia. The mural would be researched, designed, and painted by students, adults, seniors, and organisations within the community. It would also be painted on a board, which can be mounted onto the side of a building, allowing the mural to be removed or replaced if changes are made to the infrastructure.
“We find that graffiti murals, which are aerosol murals, don’t work. It sends the message that graffiti is acceptable,” said chief executive officer of Graffiti Hurts Australia Scott Hilditch.
“A community paint brush mural takes a holistic approach which engages the community and because more people are involved, it increases respect and pride in the area.”
These murals can be implemented for a cost as low as $2500, while Mr Hilditch estimates that Telstra may pay about $5500 in upkeep if graffiti continues to plague the building.
He added that local residents need to make a stand to ensure Telstra takes appropriate action in cleaning up the building.
“We encourage the community to actively get involved to protect the local area. This is not a council, industry, or business issue. It is a community issue, and the community needs to stand up and be heard on the issue or we will continue to see more graffiti occur.”