New laws aim to rub out graffiti vandalism

• State Government creates stand-alone graffiti vandalism offence
• Maximum penalty $24,000 fine and/or two years in prison
• Minimum penalty is a community-based clean-up order
• Offenders could have property like smart phones and laptops confiscated

The State Government has increased its efforts to rub out graffiti vandalism from Western Australian property by introducing tough new graffiti laws to State Parliament.

Police Minister Liza Harvey said the stand-alone graffiti offence carried significant maximum penalties of a $24,000 fine and two years behind bars.

"Delivering this election commitment sends a clear message to those people who have a complete disregard for someone else's property, that they are committing a serious offence and will pay a high price," Mrs Harvey said.

The Minister said the Graffiti Vandalism Bill would also include:

• mandatory clean-up orders for convicted vandals
• confiscation of property, like smart phones and laptops, used to record and transmit graffiti vandalism
• strengthened Public Transport Authority (PTA) powers to ban serial offenders from buses, trains and stations
• strengthened local government powers to enter private property to remove graffiti
• an offence for possession of a graffiti tool or implement.

"Local councils and many home and business owners know the grind of cleaning up graffiti vandalism," the Minister said.

"Now offenders will understand the effort it takes to clean and plenty of time to rethink their unacceptable behaviour."

Mrs Harvey said the laws strengthened what the Liberal National Government was already doing to combat graffiti vandalism, which costs WA about $8 million a year to remove.

"We endeavour to clean graffiti vandalism within 24 hours and now we will remove the ability for the vandal to broadcast it.  If it isn't already, now graffiti vandalism will truly be the most pointless past-time in WA," she said.

The Minister said the Government was committed to reducing anti-social behaviour through tough laws and providing police with the resources they needed to combat crime.

Fact File

• Graffiti vandals are currently charged under criminal or property damage
• In 2007-08 there were 16,025 verified graffiti offences, dropping to 1,933 in 2014-15
• The cost of removing graffiti vandalism 2012-13 was $7.99 million and in 2013-14 $7.84 million. These figures have been collated from Western Power, the PTA, Main Roads, Department of Education and nine metropolitan councils

Minister's office - 6552 5900