Graffiti and defacement of public toilets over the past two months has placed a significant strain on resources and disrupted access to essential amenities.
The attacks have left council officers frustrated, draining time and finances that must be spent to bring the facilities back to usable standards.
A snapshot of incidents in the past eight weeks highlight the vandalism’s impact, particularly in Echuca.
The Echuca East Community Centre public toilets saw extensive graffiti, which required professional cleaning at a cost of $500.
A structure was defaced at the Old Pump House in Echuca, leading to a full repainting to cover the damage at a cost of $1700.
At the High St, Echuca toilets, graffiti damage also led to the need for a full repaint to restore the site’s usability and appearance, which cost $1600.
In Kyabram, the transit centre toilet fixtures, including toilet pans and hand basins, were destroyed, and walls were damaged, leading to $3500 spent in extensive repairs.
Mayor Daniel Mackrell said the senseless attacks were both inconvenient to the public and placed a concerning toll on the council’s resources.
“What’s even worse is that the money we’re having to spend on repairing these facilities is money that could have and should have been spent for the extra benefit of our communities,” he said.
“With this in mind, we’d like to ask our community members to keep an eye out for any suspicious or unusual activity around our public facilities.”
Cr Mackrell encouraged community members to call police if they witness facilities being damaged if safe to do so.
Residents can phone 1300 666 535 to lodge an urgent service request, or visit www.campaspe.vic.gov.au/Our-council/Customer-service/
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