Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead and Deputy Premier and Minister for Justice and Police Troy Grant and Attorney General Gabrielle Upton have launched Graffiti Removal Day, which will be held on Sunday, 18 October 2015.

Mr Bromhead said the community is fed up with graffiti tags staining our homes, businesses and public areas.

“Graffiti Removal Day is a great opportunity for community groups and local residents in Great Lakes to get involved in the graffiti clean-up and send vandals a message,” Mr Bromhead said.

“Graffiti costs over $100 million each year to clean up in NSW alone and that’s money far better spent on improving services for the community.

“Graffiti Removal Day has been getting bigger every year and grassroots community support is crucial to its success.

“In the Great Lakes area we are very fortunate to have our very own Graffiti Buster Ted Bickford who has been working tirelessly in the region for many years.

“Ted has championed Graffiti Removal Day and has been working with students at Great Lakes College to point out and eradicate the vandalism caused by graffiti, cleaning up the school campus and other parts of Tuncurry and Forster.

“Ted’s work with the students and more widely in removing graffiti has been recognised by being named the 2012 NSW Premier’s Volunteer of the Year for Myall Lakes,” Mr Bromhead said.

Deputy Premier Troy Grant said graffiti is an ugly stain on all communities and that it is frustrating for people to see homes, businesses and public amenities vandalised for no reason.

Attorney General Gabrielle Upton said Graffiti Removal Day was an opportunity for volunteers to show pride in their communities and send a message to vandals that their destructive and criminal behaviour won’t be tolerated.

Graffiti Removal Day is a joint initiative between the NSW Government and Rotary Down Under. It is supported by a range of organisations including the NRL, Scouts Australia, Girl Guides NSW & ACT, Australian Men’s Shed Association (NSW Branch), PCYC, NSW Police, high schools and local councils.