Graffiti on new Triabunna School Boatshed at Raspins Beach

It was unfortunately discovered this week that the new boat and water sport facility that has been built at Raspins Beach in Orford for the Triabunna District School has suffered from some graffiti vandalism. The new facility had been stencilled with the words ‘No Fish Farms’ on a door and wall of the building, which has been under construction for the past few months and is very near completion.

Unfortunately the new boatshed was not the only victim of this senseless act of graffiti vandalism from what appears to be a supporter of ‘No Fish Farms’. An informative sign aimed at helping protect the shorebirds’ habitat in front of the facility and a nearby seat was also damaged with this same graffiti.

The new boat shed facility has been built with funds granted to the Orford Community Group and Spring Bay Boat Club. Council has constructed the building and it will be mainly utilised for the Triabunna District School’s water sports program as well as sailing and water safety education for all students and children in the area.

The vandalism has been reported to police.

Mayor Michael Kent says:

“It is extremely disappointing and actually beyond belief that it appears to be someone from the ‘No Fish Farms’ group, which has been very active in opposing the fish farm in Okehampton Bay for reasons of environmental concerns, who has complete and utter disregard for signage promoting the protection of shore birds and is willing to deface a new building and facility to be used by the local school kids and community for the purposes of education in water, oceans and the environment.”

Next month is Keep Australia Beautiful Graffiti Free Week. Keep Australia Beautiful encourages home owners and businesses to help wipe out graffiti by cleaning off the visual litter as soon as it appears. Graffiti vandals or ‘taggers’ enjoy seeing their handiwork on display and that immediate removal helps to prevent copycat offences and vandals from seeing the fruits of their labour. The public can also report visual litter to the police or local council.

The estimated cost of graffiti and other forms of vandalism to the Australian community is a massive $2.7 billion a year, making visual litter the new scourge in our fight against litter bugs.
Mayor Michael Kent, Glamorgan Spring Bay Council