Vandals Continue To Leave Their Mark

Newcastle Herald

Thursday May 1, 2008

By MELISSA LYONS

RESTORATION work at Newcastle Ocean Baths has been under way for more than 18 months, but vandals took just minutes to leave their mark.

The historic building has been defaced with graffiti on three sections.

Its removal is an added expense to refurbishment costs that have blown out to more than $3.3 million.

Newcastle City Council spokeswoman Kate Baartz said graffiti was common at the heritage-listed site.

"It's just one of those plights we have to put up with," she said.

"It means we'll just have to paint over it again."

Newcastle Surf House club captain Andrew Burnell said graffiti on Newcastle Beach buildings was never ending.

He said the baths' position, where few people walked at night, made it easy for vandals.

"It's not often you drive past the baths and there's no graffiti there," he said.

The council allocated $170,000 in its last budget for graffiti control on council infrastructure.

A rapid response team was assigned to remove graffiti within 24 hours of its report.

An aerosol art agreement was also started, which allowed youths to graffiti on a designated wall at South Newcastle Beach.

But Ms Baartz said continued incidents of vandalism proved it had not deterred vandals.

The council is yet to decide whether the baths caretaker, who had lived in the building, will be reassigned on site.