Cleaning graffiti at a rail corridor is a first for Community Work. Given the success in the busy three kilometre stretch through Henderson it most likely won’t be the last.
“It’s the most beautiful thing in the world,” says a resident in a letter to Corrections’ Waitakere Service Manager Karl Bethell. She explains: “Looking out onto a grey wall becomes wonderful when it is tag-free!”
Another email in Karl’s inbox reads: “When I saw your team working alongside the railway track on Sunday, I stepped onto my balcony and called out a big 'Thank You'!!! It is so good to be freed of that horrible view.”
The praise is for the 14 Community Work offenders cleaning up graffiti along a rail corridor in the Waitakere. This Henderson corridor has areas of high-volume graffiti vandalism, such as the Corban Hill retaining wall.
Waitakere City Council, ONTRACK, the Department of Corrections and the Auckland Region Graffiti Free (ARGF) Project have joined forces to organise this ground-breaking pilot programme. Funding for the trial comes from the ARGF, an organisation investigating long-term solutions for graffiti vandalism.
Natives
Because working in a rail corridor can be quite dangerous, Waitakere City Council and ONTRACK have developed a comprehensive safety plan and specific rail safety training for the workers and supervisors.
Getting rid of the graffiti begins with the basics. The Community Workers scrub the wall as clean as they can. “Then they cover the wall in a neutral grey layer. This water based recycled paint has been donated by Resene Paints,” explains Karl.
“The result is a clean and fresh wall. Grey could seem boring to some people but not to those exposed to the shouting colours of graffiti.
“The offenders also use weed eaters to clear the area about two metres off the track. We plant natives back, including vines to eventually cover the walls and make tagging impossible. The council helps us by providing free rubbish removal and landscaping expertise.”
Win-win
ARGF co-ordinator Stewart Andrews says: “If successful, the trial could well become the blueprint for developing other community programmes.”
ONTRACK spokeswoman Jenni Austin says her organisation is pleased to be involved in this initiative: “ONTRACK is often criticised for allowing graffiti to build up in the rail corridor. But its presence is a result of trespassing. We don’t like the presence of graffiti any more than others. So we jumped at the opportunity to be involved in a programme like this. It should provide a win-win for everybody involved.”
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Community Works is published quarterly by the Department of Corrections. Contact details for Community Probation & Psychological Services can be found here or by looking under C for Corrections in the Government listings of the Telecom White Pages.
ISSN 1178-1327