Auckland Council spends $4m on graffiti removal, but is that how our streets should look? – Stuff.co.nz

Auckland Council spends millions each year removing graffiti from across the region nearly four times what Wellington and Christchurch councils spend combined.

That war on graffiti has stifled creativity and left a bland, soulless city in its wake, a prominent street artist says.

Auckland Council pays contractors about $4 million a year to get rid of graffiti, according to figures supplied under the Official Information Act.

RYAN ANDERSON/STUFF

An Artifex piece on the Mercury Theatre building in central Auckland.

Wellington City Council spent $450,000 in 2018 and in Christchurch, where a vibrant street art culture is emerging, the council spent $800,000.

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Until July 2019, Auckland Council employed controversial private investigators Thompson & Clark the private eye firm atthe centre of a State Services Commission inquiry into their work spying on anti-government protesters to catch graffiti vandals, but had no idea how many were prosecuted.

The totalcost of that contract to the ratepayerwas $600,000.

North Shore street artist Jesse Jensen, 34,known under theartist name ofAresArtifex, said the policy made it hard for street artists to find places to paint.

"Art is proven to be one of the most effective measures at improving mental health, our city and suburbs could be way more beautiful and full of street art improving the quality of lives of all Aucklanders," he said.

Auckland Council told Stuff it differentiates graffiti from street art through permission status; if permission has not been sought from the buildingowner, the council considers it to be graffiti.

"We mitigate the risk of this by ensuring our contractors have an updated 'do not remove' list. We work with our contractors to take a common-sense approach to removal," it said in a statement.

"If the item is a mural or a work that appears to havesome artistic merit but does not appear on the 'do not remove list', we will then check with the asset owner to see if permission has been granted to that artwork or not."

MURRAY WILSON/STUFF

Street art movement: In Palmerston North, ten international artists and 40 local youth are painting 20 large scale murals around the city this month. Auckland artist Charles Williams works on his mural on the FMG building on Jersey Lane.

But Jensen said that was not what happens in practice; contractors are paid per removal and he has seen plenty of examples where contractors deface or paint over perfectly fine art.

According to council figures, contractors remove at least 40 worksof illegal graffiti for every incident that is reported, a 100 per cent increase from the contracts awarded before 2019.

While the council does not have an anti-graffiti policy, it does use the2018 Quality of Life survey as a reference.

That found 41 per cent of Aucklandersperceived graffiti as a problem in their area and 35 per cent of Aucklanders highlighted vandalism as being a problem.

To address the street art movement, the council said it connectedartists with business associations and sponsors work across the city.

It has supported youth-led organisations with materials and expertise to bring their work to life, in places such asthe 312 Hub in Onehunga and The Corner.

But Jensen said what was happening at street level was much different.

SUPPLIED/JESSE JENSEN

A wall in New Lynn, Auckland painted by Jesse Jensen and fellow street artist.

It costs $570 to make an application to the counciland young artists can't afford that, particularly whenthe common response is "no", he said.

Jensen wants the council to open up alleyways, water tanks and the thousands of concrete areas around the city that could cultivate art and expression.

"In so many great cities around the world, Sydney, Brisbane, Berlin, London, the council encourages public space to be colourful and an expression of the community they get it," he said.

"Wellington, Christchurch, Whangarei, Tauranga, are doing it, but Auckland isn't there yet.

"We will get there, it will take a bit more time but I've got hope I don't think old ideas can stay around forever."

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Auckland Council spends $4m on graffiti removal, but is that how our streets should look? - Stuff.co.nz