Graffiti and vandalism

  • To report graffiti on private property or Council property please contact Council’s Graffiti Removal Contractor, Urban Maintenance Systems (UMS). Phone 9648 2733 or email infnsw@ums.com.au identifying yourself as a Mosman resident and providing specific location details.

These organisations may be contacted direct for removal of graffiti from their property:

Property Contact
Electrical boxes / substations Energy Australia 131 535
Major roads, including street signs RTA 131 700
Public telephones Telstra 180 22 44
Ferries Sydney Ferries 131 500
Buses, trains State Transit 131 500
Post boxes etc Australia Post 13 13 18
Sydney Water infrastructure Sydney Water 1800 010 085

Graffiti Policy

Mosman Council is committed to managing graffiti on Council and private property throughout the Mosman area through employing a rapid removal and prevention strategy, which provides for:

  • the removal of graffiti from Council owned property within one working day of identification;
  • the removal of graffiti from private properties within three working days of identification, subject to the provisions of s.67 of the Local Government Act 1993; and
  • the emergency response and urgent removal of graffiti as required by Council’s Contract Supervisor (this provision provides for the urgent removal of graffiti considered obscene, offensive, racist and/or vilifying).

Supply information on graffiti offences

If you have any information that may be of assistance in determining the identity of the offenders or time of the offence, please pass it on to the Harbourside Police Duty Officer on 9956 3180. Should you witness an offence being committed, please call Harbourside Police on 9956 3199 for Officers to attend.

Council Rangers are on duty seven days a week from 7am to 11pm and can be reached on 9978 4081 or mobile 0419 784 081 for assistance, or contact Council’s Manager Ranger Services on 9978 4059 for more information.

Removing / preventing graffiti

There are a number of approaches that could be useful in removing/preventing illegal graffiti from your property.

When using paint over graffiti:

  • The easiest method of removing graffiti may be to simply paint over it.
  • Before painting, it may be necessary to remove as much graffiti as possible as some graffiti markers tend to ‘bleed’ through new coats of paint.
  • Using a sealer or undercoat may also prevent bleeding.
  • By sourcing a correct colour match for the surface that has been affected, it may be possible to avoid painting the entire area.

When using removal products:

  • Test on a small area first.
  • Be careful, follow safety precautions.
  • Follow the manufacturer’s directions.
  • When removing graffiti, it can be worth trying regular household cleaning products first – start with dish washing detergent or laundry liquid, followed by eucalyptus oil or mineral turpentine.
  • Products for removal and advice on their use are available from most local hardware or paint stores.
  • Be certain to acknowledge that some products are toxic and will require safety precautions.

When using protective coatings:

  • Employing a professional to apply a protective anti-graffiti coating may be the best method to protect your property from graffiti (contractors can be found in Yellow Pages).

When using landscaping as a preventive measure:

  • Large walls that are easily accessible are an easy target for graffiti; reducing access to these spaces is a great preventative measure and landscaping the area in front of a wall may be the most appropriate means of doing this.
  • Landscaping in front of a wall also reduces the visual impact of any graffiti that may occur in the space.
  • Using improved lighting.
  • Using appropriate fencing or grilles.

Graffiti and the law

In New South Wales, damaging or defacing property by means of chalk, paint, felt tip markers or other materials is an offence. This offence is reported by NSW Police as malicious damage. The offences which are dealt with under this general term include many of the forms of what is popularly known as vandalism. The police can deal with graffiti offenders in a number of ways; official cautions, summons, court attendance notices, and charges. Most graffiti related offences in New South Wales are handled under the Summary Offences Act 1988, Sections 9, 10a, 10b and 10c.

If the offender is a child or young person they may be subject to other legislation such as the Children (Parental Responsibility) Act 1994, Young Offenders Act 1997 and Young Offenders Amendment Act 2002.

The Local Government Amendment (Graffiti) Act 2002 commenced on 19 July 2002. It provides:

  • discretionary power to councils to remove graffiti, without the landowner’s/occupier’s consent, from land which bounds a public place and where the graffiti can be seen and accessed from a public place; and,
  • graffiti removal work may only be undertaken from the public place, that is, council officers may not enter onto the private land without the landowner’s/occupier’s consent.

However, “though many of us might see graffiti as a form of vandalism this is not how some of the perpetrators see it as we will see when we look at the types of graffiti that there are.” Understanding the motives and types of graffiti is important in order to introduce preventive techniques. Professor Paul Wilson, Chair of Criminology, Robina – QLD, identified 4 stages within a basic framework for dealing with graffiti problems in the research named Approaches to Tackling Graffiti (Word doc 55kb).

In Mosman, graffiti on Council property is removed within 3 days of reporting and in some cases immediately, with the purpose to reduce repeat attacks, knowing that rapid removal of graffiti is nationally and internationally recognised as best practice, reducing the recognition that graffiti “artists” seek and also as preventing assets from appearing uncared for.

Further resources