Launceston mayor sees public art as solution to city’s growing graffiti issue

Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood is looking to combat tagging and graffiti with more public art initiatives in the coming years.

The desire for change comes as the municipality spends tens of thousands of dollars annually on removing the vandalism the community is “pretty sick” of.

“For us, graffiti vandalism has increased over the past 24 months,” Garwood said.

“During the 2023 calendar year, the council spent $41,473 removing graffiti.”

Patterson Street East Carpark has been enhanced with murals to combat graffiti. Image / Jamin
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From the start of 2024 to mid-October, $38,678 had been spent, a figure Garwood said is “anticipated to surpass” the previous year’s total.

His solution involves a laneway festival format, similar to those held in Melbourne and Hobart, where artists and arts organisations would ‘adopt a laneway’.

Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood (left). Image / Supplied
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He pointed to recent murals in Kings Meadows, Criterion Place and the Patterson Street East Carpark that have shown the “effectiveness of street art in discouraging tagging”.

“A Laneway Festival format plays to Launceston’s strengths, attracting locals and visitors alike and can involve artists and arts organisations,” he said.

“The festival can be used as a launch platform for a new Street Art Laneway Gallery, which will provide an ever-changing collection of works for an ongoing city centre attraction.”

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