Community groups across NSW are being challenged to brush up their creative skills for this year’s Graffiti Removal Day by creating murals.
 
Graffiti Removal Day chairman Bob Aitken AM said preventing graffiti is the focus for this year’s event on Sunday, 27 October.
 
“Graffiti vandalism costs our community over $300 million each year,” Mr Aitken said.
 
“Since the event started in 2012 volunteers have removed more than 141,000sqm of graffiti, saving the community $10.4 million.
 
“This year, as well as removing graffiti we want to see ugly tags with no artistic merit covered by colourful murals to help stop graffiti from occurring in the first place.”
 
To help inspire people we are running a competition to find the best mural in the state with a $1000 first prize.
 
Several schools in the Georges River area have already kicked off the competition with over 500 students combining to create a community mural at Carss Park and they are challenging other groups to enter the competition.
 
Graffiti Removal Day ambassador and football legend Mark OAM congratulated the students and threw his support behind the event.
 
“Graffiti Removal Day is great way people can show they love where they live and it is great to see so many or our youth involved,” he said.
 
“This year’s focus on encouraging people to come up with fun ideas to prevent vandalism at regularly targeted sites is a great opportunity for community groups to display their creative flair while removing ugly graffiti.”
 
“I would encourage everyone to get involved in this great community event.” Said Mr Geyer
 
Up to 3000 volunteers from various groups including Rotary, Scouts NSW, Girl Guides NSW&ACT, Air Force Cadets, PCYC, NSW Police, Lions, church groups, high schools and 80 councils are expected to remove graffiti from over 600 sites across NSW on Sunday 27 October. 
 
All material and equipment required for Graffiti Removal Day is supplied to volunteers for free by sponsors Dulux, NSW Government, Australian Rail Track Corporation and Southern Cleaning Supplies.
 
People can volunteer, suggest an idea, find out more about the mural competition or nominate a clean-up site by going to the website www.graffitiremovalday.org.au