Geoff Helisma

Yamba Rotary members will be busy removing graffiti on Saturday October 26, from 1pm to 5pm … and you’re invited to pitch in and help make light work of their efforts.

It is the third year the community service club has taken part in Graffiti Removal Day, which was established 2012 “to highlight the problem of graffiti across NSW and encourage people to volunteer their time to remove and prevent graffiti”.

According to graffitiremovalday.org.au, “graffiti vandalism costs the NSW Government and residents more than $300 million every year”.

“Since Graffiti Removal Day was established … volunteers have removed 141,000sqm of graffiti, saving our community about $10.40 million,” the website says

Meanwhile, Yamba Rotary’s graffiti removal coordinator John McKenny said he had received “great feedback from both business people and locals” following previous years’ cleanups.

“I didn’t realise it could impact on people the way it does,” he said.

“[Some people] feel like it’s an invasion of privacy if the local bus stop or a wall has been graffitied as they walk past.”

Graffiti Removal Day ambassador and football legend Mark Geyer OAM congratulated the Yamba Rotary Club and threw his support behind the event.

“Graffiti Removal Day is great way people can show they love where they live and it is great to see so many of our youth involved,” he said in a media release.

“I would encourage everyone to get involved in this great community event.”

People who would like to join Rotary members on Saturday should call John McKenny on 0427 323 133.

“We encourage people young and old to come along for a couple of hours; we supply everything,” he said.

All material and equipment required for Graffiti Removal Day is supplied to volunteers for free by sponsors Dulux, NSW Government, Australian Rail Track Corporation and Southern Cleaning Supplies.