The Walk the Walls festival at Caringbah was so successful moves are under way to cover graffiti vandalised walls with street art in other parts of Sutherland Shire.
Sutherland Shire Council has asked for a briefing by officers on the possibilities no later than June, followed by a report within three months.
The bipartisan motion, moved by Cr John Riad (Liberal) and seconded by Cr Jack Boyd (Labor) was moved after more than 5000 people visited the three-day event in March.
Details were sought on the benefits of the project, including promoting public art, creating a community event and reducing graffiti;
Other aspects to be examined will include opportunities to expand “Walk the Walls Streets” to other appropriate locations, the cost of an expanded program and the savings that could be made by not having to clean up graffiiti.
Cr Riad said he believed street art could be the answer in an area of Barden Ridge, “where there is a systematic graffiti problem”.
He said the first street art in the shire was trialled in the Menai skate park and had very successful in countering graffiti.
Cr Boyd said the Caringbah project had proved the worth of the idea.
“The back streets of Caringbah are normally a place you wouldn’t want to be late at night, but we had people singing and dancing,” he said.
Mayor Carmelo Pesce said he walked through the project area often “and every time I see people standing and looking”.
He said the number of elderly people enjoying the street art was noticeable.
Cr Pesce said, in the first few weeks, none of the works had been “tagged” by graffiti vandals.
The report to be prepared by staff will detail present graffiti management practices across the shire and identify “hot spots”, associated solutions and the success or otherwise of each.
It will also cover the community’s views on both public place art, as well as graffiti management in public places and possible state government funding assistance.
The council also formally thanked the artists, volunteers and staff in Walk the Walls.
