Brimbank council will spend more than $1 million on graffiti removal over five years, including $75,000 on controversial rail noise walls to be built in Ardeer.
Extending council’s three-year contract with Urban Maintenance Systems by two years, council administrator Jane Nathan said it was sad that so much money had to be used to try to rid the city of tagging.
“It’s a terrible waste of the community’s money,” she said.
‘‘I can’t contain myself. I’m just so frustrated that we have to spend all this money on [combating] illegal activity, which could be spent on the community.”
A report to administrators said graffiti removal would cost the council more than $500,000 over the next two years.
An additional $75,000 has been included to cover the removal of graffiti on the planned rail corridor noise wall along Forest Street in Ardeer, and at the Anderson Road grade separation.
Sunshine and Ardeer residents have long complained about the potential for tagging at the proposed noise barriers, comparing them to “Berlin walls”. They say the Regional Rail Link works will destroy visual amenity and effectively cut the suburbs in half.
Fix the Links spokeswoman Jillian Barros said residents had been vindicated.
“This funding is another slap in the face of the community of Ardeer, West Sunshine and surrounding areas,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s a needy area. Vandalism is inevitable. This will be ongoing, every year this money will be spent.
“There’s going to be a tremendous amount of money being spent on vandalism, it’s a ridiculous solution. This money is needed in our area for much more important things.”
A Regional Rail Link spokesman said noise barriers had been identified as the most appropriate solution to mitigating increased train noise between Sunshine and Deer Park.
Work on the walls will begin this month and should be completed mid-year.
