That’s not art

By Vanessa Parker

Vandalism in the shire is costing ratepayers tens of thousands of dollars a year, and Council has expressed their disappointment.

A newly laid footpath along the Werribee River towards McGrath St, in Bacchus Marsh, was graffitied recently, frustrating a local Councillor.

Moorabool Mayor Cr Rod Ward said incidents like this cause more work and expense for Council.

“Through our capital improvement program, our major projects and our storm recovery work, we are providing better infrastructure to the community, so to have incidents like this occur and ruin the good work is very frustrating, disheartening, and costly,” he said.

And it is not just Bacchus Marsh that has been targeted within the Moorabool Shire.

Deputy Mayor Cr Ally Munari attended an event in Blackwood at the Town Hall and was shocked when she saw a water tank with large painted tags on it.

“It was hugely disappointing to find graffiti in the beautiful town of Blackwood,” she told the Moorabool News.

“The cleanup creates unnecessary costs that should be going to more needed projects.

“Unfortunately, we are also seeing graffiti and vandalism in some of our small towns throughout the Moorabool Shire,” Cr Munari said.

How much it will cost to fix the damaged path in Bacchus Marsh is unknown at time of printing as Council is still assessing the situation.

Across the shire, damage to paths, public buildings such as toilets, and other Council assets costs Council, and ultimately ratepayers, tens of thousands of dollars.

Crs Ward and Munari urge the community to report any incidents of damage to Council on 5366 7100, or to Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.