By ALANA MITCHELSON
THE graffiti at Cardinia Road train station and along the fence opposite the Toomah Community Centre is a “disgrace”, according to a local government representative.
Councillor Collin Ross said he would lodge a motion at the next council meeting to urge Metro Trains to clean the graffiti at the site as well as other graffiti hot spots near railway stations across Cardinia Shire.
“Graffiti is a scourge, and an eyesore to our local area. Council spends tens of thousands of dollars cleaning up this vandalism,” Cr Ross said.
“This graffiti on Metro Trains’ land needs to be removed. Council legally cannot go onto this area and clean it up.”
Cr Ross said his main concern was the negative connotations graffiti carries with regards to community safety.
“Graffiti leaves a terrible image of our home in Pakenham and Cardinia Shire,” he said.
“This graffiti has been at the area near Cardinia Road station for years and years, it is even expanding with new graffiti.
“The quicker the graffiti is removed the less likely it is to be replaced.”
But Metro Trains spokesperson Sammie Black said the graffiti was not the organisation’s responsibility.
The graffiti opposite the Toomah centre is on a third party fence, the spokesperson said.
“In regards to some of the graffiti identified in your photographs, we can assist council by providing it safe access to remove the graffiti on the retaining wall,” Ms Black said.
“We are responsible for cleaning up graffiti that occurs at train stations and to remove it within 24 hours of it being reported.
“We also have an obligation to remove any offensive graffiti within seven days of it being reported across our network. Graffiti and vandalism is a huge and ongoing issue for us.”
