Dear LG Focus,
Ref: ‘Spraying It’ (LG Focus, November 2015)
My investigation into liability for the alarming proliferation of illegal bill posting and graffiti removal has been long and frustrating.
In December 2013, I moved a notice of motion to City of Sydney Council to have the liability for illegal bill posting shift to the commercial enterprise advertising their function or venue and not remain with the person who actually puts up the posters.
In the same year, the City reported an increase of 97 percent in illegal bill posting (a 230%m² increase), at a cost to rate payers of over $1 million just for poster removal.
This continuing illegal form of advertising just keeps increasing, without the Council having the regulatory authority to fine the advertisers – hence the need for Councillors to endorse more spending to keep our City clean!
I have sent a number of submissions to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Local Government and now the Department of Police & Justice to investigate the state of current legislation and the need to amend it, to place liability for this illegal activity on the advertisers.
In September 2014 the former Attorney General, Brad Hazzard, committed to a review of the Graffiti Control Act.
I received correspondence this week from the Attorney General, Gabriel Upton, advising that she should be receiving the results of this review ‘shortly’, for her consideration.
Here we are in November, almost a year after notification of the review of the Graffiti Control Act, with rate payers still footing clean up costs: I am hoping the current Attorney General will endorse an amendment of the Graffiti Control Act to transfer liability and allow councils to impose significant fines on commercial entities.
Kind Regards,
Councillor Jenny Green
Independent Team
The City of Sydney
