Local students team up with artists to help design anti-graffiti murals

MORE than 200 young Ocean Grove locals have helped design anti-graffiti murals to tackle graffiti vandalism at Shell Road sporting precinct.

Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville visited the Bellarine Sport and Aquatic Centre on Tuesday, where 16 of the boards designed by local students who teamed up with artists in anti-graffiti education workshops, had been installed.

The City of Greater Geelong received $23,000 from the Labor Government through last year’s round of Graffiti Prevention Grants, and the council has also contributed almost $3,000 towards the project.

A ‘What Happens Next’ information pack has also been developed as a resource for Victoria Police, who will use it to educate parents about how they can help if their children are involved in graffiti.

Graffiti Prevention Grants include up to $30,000 for councils that team up with community groups, police, schools and local businesses to deliver antigraffiti projects.

It goes to programs aimed at preventing graffiti, encouraging community ownership and care for graffiti hotspots, and awareness raising that illegal graffiti is not art and has negative consequences for offenders and their community.

“Graffiti can have a big impact on the look and feel of an area, that’s why we’ve funded four separate anti-graffiti projects across Greater Geelong,” Ms Neville said.

“Graffiti has negative consequences for offenders but also our community.

“That’s why we’re working with young people to help them understand those costs.

“These workshops get our local youth involved in designing these murals to help give them ownership for these spaces within their communities.”

Since July 2015, the Labor Government has allocated more than $1.7 million towards 91 antigraffiti projects across Victoria, including around $99,000 for four projects in the Greater Geelong Local Government Area (LGA).

As part of this year’s round, the council received $30,000 to create a film that will show business owners and property developers how better environmental design can prevent graffiti.

A toolkit and pilot paint voucher system will also be developed to help reduce graffiti, vandalism and break-ins in the Greater Geelong area.

The grants are part of the Labor Government’s Community Crime Prevention Program, which received $25 million in funding in the Victorian Budget 2018/19.

Since July 2015, the Labor Government has provided more than $1.1 million in funding under the program for 23 projects to improve community safety in the Greater Geelong LGA.