Join the fight against graffiti by taking part in Graffiti Removal Day on Sunday 30 October.

The state-wide graffiti removal and prevention day is a joint initiative of the New South Wales Government, Rotary Down Under and Graffiti Removal Australia, and is a great opportunity for individuals, community groups, sporting clubs, businesses and other organisations to join us in the fight against graffiti.

We are encouraging residents to become part of the solution by volunteering to help remove graffiti at one of the official clean up sites across the Central Coast. Anyone over the age of 12 can get involved in the clean up. All volunteers will be provided with training, graffiti removal equipment and protective gear on the day.

Official Graffiti Removal Day sites for the Central Coast are located in Point Clare, Ettalong, Umina, Woy Woy, Wyong, Gorokan, Watanobbi and Toukley.

If you would like to get involved and help clean up a site on Sunday 30 October, please visit graffitiremovalday.org.au

Some of the more successful anti-graffiti initiatives carried out on the Central Coast include neighbourhood volunteer graffiti removal groups, an education program in high schools, and an extensive community mural program.

The latest community mural project underway is the ‘Local Legends’ mural  in Toukley. The mural will be designed to depict the wonderful identities and stories that have helped shape the area, and will also reflect community landmarks.

You can nominate your Toukley ‘Local Legend’ and provide design ideas to the mural artist by attending one of three free art workshops:

• Sunday 6 November at Toukley Sunday Markets
• Saturday 26 November at Toukley Neighbourhood Centre, for a community day including free activities and games
• Sunday 27 November at Toukley Sunday Markets.

Local Legends nominations can also be made online by visiting wyong.nsw.gov.au/graffiti. Entries close on Friday 16 December 2016.

Graffiti is an ongoing challenge that impacts most communities. It is one of the most visible crimes and the cost to the community is not just financial. Indirect costs include environmental harm, increased concerns for personal safety, reduced civic pride and declining property values.

The removal of graffiti costs NSW ratepayers more than $100 million each year, and even though we have had increased success in our efforts to reduce graffiti vandalism, we cannot do it without the help of the community.

We are committed to improving the Central Coast community’s quality of life, so let’s roll up our sleeves and work together to keep our area beautiful and free of graffiti vandalism.