COMPLAINTS about ugly graffiti have been increasing in Fremantle over the last few months.
Shop operators and property owners are wondering if that might have something to do with the City of Fremantle no longer cleaning up unsightly tagging from private walls.
There definitely appears to be much more of the stupid vandalism visible on Fremantle streets, so is anyone doing anything about it at all?
There are many CCTV cameras all over our city, so is Fremantle council passing on information about the graffiti morons to WA Police?
Take them to court and force them to clean up their own childish mess!
Let’s be very clear about this: Graffiti is not art! It is property vandalism. Nothing else!
It is worse than dogs pissing against every post and tree.
It does not matter if it is stupid, illegible tags, or political messages.
Last week I wrote on my Freoview blog that I absolutely agree with the “Free Palestine” message, but totally disagree with the way they do it, by spray painting it on buildings, signs and advertising boards.
Doing it that illegal way diminishes the very important message, and that is disappointing.
I don’t necessarily disagree with Fremantle council’s stand that it is not the role of government to clean up private property, but graffiti makes our tourist city look very untidy and uncared for, so maybe a better solution can be found.
Is it, for example, something the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce could take up, and pay for a contractor to remove the nuisance nonsense?
And it is not just graffiti that is visual pollution on our streets.
One only has to look at the old Woolstores building opposite Clancy’s that is packed with large posters, that promote concerts and bands.
It’s ugly and it’s not acceptable!
The same apply for silly stickers put on traffic signs, downpipes, vacant shop windows, and any surface that is visible to the fools who engage in this silliness.
I am still seeing the Men’s Shed volunteers going around town though, scraping stickers off signs and posts, so at least there is still some minor cleaning going on in Fremantle.
Why does anyone believe they have the right to damage other people’s properties, that needs to be cleaned up and costs the owners, or local councils (yep, that’s all of us!) a lot of money?
There are also some misguided people, who believe they are artists, who spread the same, repetitive and badly done images all over town, believing they are beautifying Freo.
Please give us a break from that mediocrity!
Graffiti and illegal bill posting has been around for many decades.
It remains a visual eyesore that riles the vast majority of people, but no one in government takes much notice of.
That needs to change, because the general public and property owners hate the ugly rubbish, and so do I.
Roel Loopers/Freoview