Community murals a solution to graffiti epidemic

Smeaton Drive community committee spokeswoman Kim Anderson, right, and her son Jesse. Photo / Michael Cunningham

It's colourful, 100m long and a potential solution to Whangarei's graffiti epidemic.

Smeaton Drive community committee spokeswoman Kim Anderson believes a mural, painted in 2008 by members of the Raumanga community, has reduced tagging in the suburb and could be a solution to the city's tagging problem.

"It's about communities taking ownership," Ms Anderson said.

Communities could spearhead, and council could help fund, community-made murals in their areas, Ms Anderson said.

"If everyone tries and looks after their own patch. But it has to be run and owned by the community. It has to be run from the ground up - not outsiders coming in to paint it. You can't just do it on your own.

"The concept is, you involve everyone, it feels like family - so that's why they [taggers] don't touch the wall."

The Whangarei District Council (WDC) cleaned up 20,298 graffiti tags in the district in the six months to July.

A Whangarei youth organisation has vowed to organise an open forum for young people to look at solutions other than continuing to clear the graffiti up.

Whangarei mayor Sheryl Mai was involved in painting out the graffiti on the Smeaton Drive fence before the mural was painted.

"I do drive up there frequently and have been impressed by the fact it has not been tagged."

WDC would consider supporting similar initiatives, particularly if other parties such as Whangarei Youth Space, the Advocate and police were involved, she said.

"If we had community leaders coming with a solution, we'd definitely consider what they had to say," she said.

Ms Anderson said that since the Smeaton Drive mural was painted in 2008, tags have only appeared on it sporadically.

"Before it was covered in disgusting tagging."

Any taggers of the mural were likely to be outsiders, or younger people who were not involved with the painting of it, she said.

The tags are quickly painted over by Ms Anderson or her 22-year-old son Jesse Anderson, a hobby graffiti artist who was involved with the painting of the mural.

He believes reasons people tag include boredom, artistic outlet, reputation and territory.