By BERNARD ORSMAN
Auckland City has adopted a zero-tolerance policy to graffiti, backed up with nearly $850,000 to get on top of the problem by Christmas.
After years of losing the battle with taggers, the council has promised to remove graffiti on private property within 24 hours.
Councillors yesterday voted to spend $845,700 on a fleet of nine vehicles and employing 11 staff for the mammoth task of making Auckland a graffiti-free city.
The council plans to have the operation up and running by October and to make significant progress by Christmas.
It already spends $700,000 a year removing graffiti from its own property.
Alaine Ingle, whose graffiti-ridden fence in Mt Albert was featured in the Herald in April, welcomed the news.
When her hideous fence made the headlines, the council ignored her plight.
It was the Tag Out trust from nearby Waitakere City who came to remove the medley of tags.
Alaine Ingle said it made a huge difference to her life. The house looked better, it helped her home-based interior design business and she felt safer.
Iris Donoghue, the Tag Out coordinator, said the trust would be interested in tendering for the Auckland contract.
The trust, started by the Keep Waitakere Beautiful group as a trial in New Lynn three years ago, has virtually wiped out graffiti on council and private property in Waitakere City.
Auckland councillor Phil Raffills, who has been trying for years to get action on graffiti, was absent on sick leave when his colleagues yesterday voted against another pilot scheme and for a citywide zero-tolerance programme.
Set-up costs of $225,000 and running costs of $620,700 in the coming year are expected to result in operational savings of $40,000 the next year.
Auckland mayor Christine Fletcher said the council would work with police on the campaign.
The Tauranga District Council sets aside $60,000 a year for graffiti control - and comes in well within budget. A contractor cleans up both public and private property.
Hamilton City Council spends just $25,000 a year to clear its property, coordinating local volunteer groups to remove other tagging.
The problem has decreased in the last few years.
Auckland City declares all-out war on taggers
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