Better streets & spaces, Caring for the environment  |  13 Jun 2023

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A drop in the amount of graffiti needing to be removed from around the city is being welcomed by the Christchurch City Council.

During the three months from March to May this year, contractors removed 15,000m2 of graffiti. This was significantly down on the same period last year when 21,000m2 needed to be cleaned away.

Graffiti Team Leader at the Council Kerryn Findlater says the reduction could be due to several factors, including a collaborative approach to preventing graffiti, the increasing presence of street art in the city and a new volunteering programme.

“We have introduced the idea of micro-volunteering which gives those who are reporting a chance to be rewarded each month. It was developed after we noticed that more than 60 percent of all graffiti reports came in via our existing network of 150 volunteers; we wanted to increase that activity and involve more of our citizens.”

By joining as a friend of the Graffiti Programme, people become ‘micro-volunteers’ and can get monthly insights, previews of new street art, put in a monthly draw to win a $20 supermarket voucher and more.

“We not only want to encourage people to help keep our city graffiti-free, but we also want to thank them! Without people taking notice and taking action we would not be able to be as effective or as efficient. It truly is a team effort,” Ms Findlater says.

The Graffiti Team has also completed recent beautification projects including a Chorus cabinet in Rowley Avenue as part of its ‘What’s Cool About Your School’ initiative.

Ms Findlater says the project offers the chance for schools to ‘adopt’ a cabinet and showcase their schools with a mural on it to increase pride and ownership in their community.

They have also begun working with Restorative Justice Services on some community art and mentoring projects.

“We have already had a couple of inquiries from parents who want their young people to have other avenues to explore other than tagging. We are always open to new ideas so if you want to have chat about creating a mural, removing graffiti, project ideas or to attend an event, please contact the team. Together, we can make a difference."