Calls to Clean Up Graffiti in Newcastle CBD

BY SHY-ANN ARKINSTALL

Newcastle Councillor Jenny Barrie will raise a motion at tonight's council meeting to propose a joint effort between council and local business owners and residents to clean up the graffiti around the city.

The proposal will suggest sending letters to residents and business owners in the Hunter Mall precinct, urging them to address graffiti on their buildings and to keep the foot path clean outside their property.

Cr Barrie said the current state of the CDB reflects a lack of civic pride among its residents.

Under the proposal, property owners will be footing the bill to clean up the graffiti so owners will either have to remove it themselves or pay someone else to do it.

Council does offer free clean up of offensive graffiti within two days of reporting which can be done on the City of Newcastle website.

"It's a beautiful city and we just need to make sure that crime doesn't take over," said Cr Barrie.

Cr Barrie is urging people to report graffiti or acts of vandalism when they see them.

Graffiti clean-up sparks business backlash over paint jobs

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Newcastle businesses have hit back at a graffiti clean-up effort over the weekend, saying the work was done without permission.

A team of more than 100 volunteers, including Knights players, took to CBD streets on Saturday and Sunday in a working bee to clean-up graffiti.

Former Lord Mayor Jeff McCloy initiated the campaign, claiming the City of Newcastle hadn't responded to his concerns about an alleged uptick in vandalism in the city centre.

But Hunter Street's Ka-fey Cafe took to social media to complain about the cover-up, describing the black paint job as "pretty terrible".

The owners of Antijojos, a Mexican street food restaurant on Steel Street, also complained to the Council about the paint job on their formerly graffiti-adorned roller doors. 

The McCloy Group said it would contribute to the costs of a future mural after earning backlash from Playstate Curate, a Union Street art gallery, when a wall intended for the art project was also painted over.

City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath has slammed the clean-up campaign, saying without permission, the anti-graffiti efforts were unacceptable.

Image credit: McCloy Group

Alleged Graffiti Vandal Arrested On Top Of Burning Car At Tingira Heights

BY IAN CROUCH

A man has been arrested while allegedly trying to spray graffiti on a burning car at Tingira Heights.

Police say fire crews were called to a car fire in bushland off Croudace Road on Tuesday afternoon but were unable to use their hoses at full force because a man was standing on the roof of the burning vehicle using a spray can.

Police called on the man to get off the burning car, however, he allegedly failed to comply.

As the officers approached the 20-year-old man he allegedly sprayed them with paint and resisted their attempts to pull him to safety. The officers then used capsicum spray and pulled him off the burning vehicle.

He was arrested and taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with assault police, resist arrest, light fire and be reckless as to spread, hinder/obstruct emergency services operations as well as malicious damage.

He was refused bail and will appear in Newcastle Local Court today (Wednesday 16 May 2018).

Police were forced to use OC spray to pull the man to safety Picture: NBN News