$15,000 clean up bill for paint fights

A tarpaulin couldn't stop the paint from getting everywhere on the intersection of Queen St and Victoria St. Photo / Supplied

Auckland authorities intend chasing the instigators of paint fights on two Queen St intersections, with a clean-up bill which could exceed $15,000.

The stunts, which stopped traffic for several minutes on Thursday afternoon, were promoting the $69-a-ticket Illuminate Paint Party tonight at the ASB Showgrounds.

But the Auckland Transport is furious and determined to recover costs after contractors spent six hours hosing masses of fluorescent paint off Queen St's intersections with Victoria St and Customs St.

Spokesman Wally Thomas described the stunts as dumb and those responsible as vandals.

He said the clean-up crew had to wait until after the evening traffic peak to insert filters in drains around the intersections to stop the paint polluting waterways.

"We estimate the cost of removing the paint could be more than $15,000," Mr Thomas said.

"When we find out who did it they will get a very large bill. We are reluctant to give them any more publicity but if that was their aim, it's going to be a very expensive stunt."

He also feared damage to cars which drove through the paint.

But Illuminate Paint Party organiser Jamie Templeton said the paint was a non-toxic and water-based solution which was "almost edible" and washed off cars easily.

"We're very respectful of people's property," he told the Weekend Herald.

Mr Templeton, who expects about 4000 people at tonight's dance party, indicated he would be prepared to pay the clean-up costs although he did not believe they should be anything like $15,000.

He had already spoken to a member of the Auckland Council's environment team in an effort to take responsibility.

After laying a tarpaulin across the intersections to reduce the mess on the roads, a team of about 30 people started the paint fights.

When people emerging from shops wanted to join in, they were given disposable boiler suits but Mr Templeton believed the sheer number of participants was too much for the tarpaulin to keep paint off the road.

"It was a guerrilla marketing tactic where we ran and smashed [the paint] out and caused a big scene - people loved it," he said.

"You should have seen the smiles on everybody's faces. I'm confident it brightened up their day."